MUMBAI: Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages company has claimed that the Gujarat government has given a clean chit to all the 17 samples of soft drinks drawn from various places in the state.

This is part of attempt by Indian cola companies to prove the allegations of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) wrong by obtaining 'No objection' certificates from state government health labs and other independent testing units.

A statement issued by the company claims that the Gujarat government has given a clean chit to all the samples of soft drinks drawn from various places in the state after they were tested negative for the presence of certain pesticides falling under the category of organo-chlorine such as lindane, DDT and chloropyrifos.

A release says that the samples, which included Coke, Thums Up, Fanta and Limca, were sent to the Food and Drugs Laboratory, Vadodara, for analysis. It also claims that the samples were tested with the help of highly sophisticated equipment like gas chromatographer with electron capture detector; capable enough to detect pesticides in concentration of one part per billion. None of the samples were found to have traces of any of these pesticides - says the release.

The state commissioner of the Food and Drugs Control Administration said no pesticides falling under the organo-chlorine category were found in any of these samples.

"We have always maintained that our products are absolutely safe. The latest test reports from the Gujarat Government further reconfirms this fact. A series of similar test reports from various other state governments and independent laboratories of the national and international fame, including the Central Science Laboratory of the UK, one of the world's top scientific labs, has supported our contention. These results will further
strengthen our relationship with our millions of consumers across the country who trust our quality and with whom we share a special bond", Coca-Cola India spokesperson said in a press statement.