Soft drinks banned in India

A southern Indian state has banned the sale and production of Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and other soft drinks made by the Indian subsidiaries of Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., an official said.

Four Indian states have already banned the sale of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks at schools, colleges and government offices after a research group in New Delhi last week claimed they contained high levels of pesticide residue.

The state of Karnataka said Thursday it was also banning the sale of soft drinks at schools and colleges, while the state of Andhra Pradesh announced a ban at government hospitals.

But the state of Kerala was the first to impose a total ban on production and sales.

The moves likely will hurt sales of Coca Cola and PepsiCo beverages in India. Kerala?s health secretary, Viswas Mehta, said the state banned the drinks because of concerns over pesticide contamination.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi insist their drinks are safe.