India state bans Coke and Pepsi

The southern Indian state of Kerala on Wednesday banned the sale and production of Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and other soft drinks made by the Indian subsidiaries of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, an official said.

Four Indian states have already banned the sale of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks at schools, colleges and government offices after a research group in New Delhi last week claimed the beverages contained high levels of pesticide residue.

But the state of Kerala was the first to impose a total ban on production and sales.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo together account for nearly 80 percent of the $2 billion-a-year soft drink market in India.