Shops in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu will soon no longer sell products made by American multinationals PepsiCo and Coca-Cola due to alleged health risks, a local government official told EFE Wednesday.
Shop-owners are to instead stock up on local brands of the products.
The new measures are due to come into effect at the beginning of March following a month-long educational campaign warning the public of the supposed dangers surrounding these products, such as their risk of causing "cancer and other illness," said U.S. Delu from the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Deputy secretary Delu said the initiative has the backing of between 80 and 90 percent of the thousands of merchants in Tamil Nadu, a region home to some 70 million people.
The Chamber plans to fill the vacuum left by the US multinationals by backing national brands with sufficient variety and availability to deal with current demand, Delu added.
India's homegrown soda drink producers have been fighting the two US giants for years by betting on their local, quirky flavors and a dash of nostalgia with brands such as Bovonto, Torino or the "old-timer" Sosyo, launched in Gujarat state back in 1923.
Delu said PepsiCo and Coca-Cola were the only international beverage producers currently present in the regional market.
Both American multinationals, the two leading soft drinks companies in the world, have been singled out by consumer associations around the world for their product's alleged health risks.
Last Oct., a study published by Boston University's Journal of Preventive Medicine stated that both US corporations financed 96 healthy living organizations in the US instructing them to minimize public awareness of the link between sugary drinks and obesity.
Source: EFE
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