The order of Kerala State Pollution Control Board asking Coca-Cola Company to stop production at its Plachimada bottling unit is welcome.One of the observation of KSPCB was that the presence of Cadmium in Coke's sludge was 400 to 600 times above the permissible limit.The company offered no explanation regarding the source of Cadmium.
Presence of heavy metals was confirmed by State Pollution Control Boards of many states after a BBC team reported presence of heavy metals in the sludge.BBC team got the sludge tested in Exeter University Laboratory.Central Pollution Control Board later gave an order to all bottling plants not to dispose its sludge outside their premises in fields.Since then the sludge is being dumped in pits dug inside the bottling plant premises.
Chemicals used in laboratories are purest in form.Chemicals used in food and beverages are given 'Pharmaceutical Grade'.One such chemical is Phosphoric Acid which is used in tonnes by Cola companies as a major ingredient of their soft drinks.In USA Phosphoric Acid of 'United States Pharmaceutical Grade' is allowed under Codex.Chemicals used in manufacturing are in bulk and contain more impurities.Heavy Metal profile of Phosphoric Acid used by the Cola giants shall reveal the real source of Cadmium,Lead etc. already found in the bottling plant sludge.
Yours sincerely,
Aflatoon.