A government study has found five different varieties of toxins in soft drinks manufactured by multinational companies Coca Cola and PepsiCo, an Indian Express report revealed.

The toxins had reportedly percolated into the drinks from the PET bottles they were stored in.

The cold drinks tested were Pepsi, Mountain Dew and 7Up (all owned by PepsiCo), as well as Coca Cola and Sprite (owned by Coca Cola).

The tests recovered traces of heavy metals antimony, lead, chromium, cadmium and compound DEHP or Di(2-ethylhexyl). The tests also found that the extent of leaching also increased with a rise in the room temperature.

The tests were carried out under the instructions of the health ministry body – Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). The results were subsequently submitted to Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services and chairman of DTAB.

A PepsiCo India spokesperson said the MNC had received no copy of the test reports and would withhold comments until the methodology of carrying out the tests was understood.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead and cadmium are two of the top 10 chemicals that are of "major public health concern", and children are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of lead.

Source: The Indian Express