By Sinead Cruise LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The world's largest soft drinks makers Coca-Cola and PepsiCo expect a little over one month to start using less carbon dioxide in their drinks after Britain's top court ruled in their favour, they said.
Implementation of the ruling allows Britain's biggest consumer group, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), to levy fines on firms that fail to cut so-called nitrates in soft drinks, such as sports drinks and drinks with high calorie content, by February next year.
Both brands said on Friday they would start immediately using zero nitrate content and carbon dioxide provided by micro fermentation within days.
Consumer and environmental groups called on the firms to make the change immediately to save on running expenses as Britain prepares to leave the European Union (EU) in March.
"Implementing our new zero nitrate policy will provide an immediate cost savings for Coca-Cola UK, the Soft Drinks Industry and the public as we move to a new low carbon landscape," said the Coca-Cola company.
It had originally said its EU-wide lower zero nitrate content formula would be completed in late-November, but now said it would meet an independent regulator's statutory halfway mark of Jan. 4.
"We will start this approach today, using zero nitrate in a limited number of our sparkling drinks," the company said.
It added it had launched a national review of current dietary and lifestyle factors to make changes in the interests of public health.
The EU and retailers said the delay would give time for soft drinks producers to adjust their recipes.
A European Commission spokesman said: "The Court provided a definition of zero nitrate content that can be used for years in the production of beverages ... It will not change the fact that there is a zero nitrate content standard."
The brands' British retail-member body, the British Retail Consortium, (BRC), said it hoped both firms would make the change immediately to save on running expenses.
"Today's ruling can be a catalyst for all firms to reduce packaging, improve the quality of products, and drive a circular economy to the benefit of the environment and public health,” said the BRC.
Retailers argue the change will result in more than 33 million tonnes of over-sized packaging each year, mostly because of new packaging packaging which has to be considered for the zero nitrate requirement. (Editing by James Dalgleish)
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