New Delhi, Aug. 17: The government has notified draft rules for maximum levels of pesticides in carbonated water, more than five years after a Centre for Science and Environment study had detected pesticides in soft drinks.

Under a proposed amendment to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, the health ministry has specified 0.001 parts per million (ppm) as the maximum permissible limit for lindane, DDT and malathion among five others.

A CSE official said this was the first time the government had proposed limits for pesticide residues in soft drinks but pointed out that the limits were 10 times higher than what had been finalised for packaged drinking water.

In July 2003, the ministry had specified a limit of 0.0001 ppm for residues of individual pesticides and 0.0005 ppm for total pesticide residues in packaged drinking water.

“We now have at least a draft notification accepting the need for regulations,” said Kushal Yadav, co-ordinator, pesticides and food safety division, CSE.

In an independent notification, the ministry also specified varying maximum permissible levels for residues of different pesticides in rice, red gram, mango, tea, tomato, brinjal, okra and other horticulture products.