Fake cool drinks and carbonated beverages imitating popular brands thrive in the city demanding the attention of respective departments to look into the violation.
Carbonated non alcoholic beverages of popular brands are found in bakeries and petty shops in the city which look similar to the originals. Local units of the popular brands engaged in the preparation and packing of 250 ml bottles are found doing the duplication. Though the colour of the bottle, bottle type and graphics look similar, these products lack the registered trade mark. The taste of the duplicated products is different from the genuine ones. However, it is hardly possible for the public to understand which is original and which is fake. Though many are able to identify the difference based on taste, they do not bother to question the seller.
Express found that the carbonated soft drink sold under the popular brand name ‘Mountain Dew’, a PepsiCo product, is duplicated and sold in the city in large quantities. It is found that the fakes and originals are stacked separately in the racks so that customers will not identify the difference. However, both the bottles are sold at a rate of Rs 12 which includes an illegal extra charge of Rs 2 for freezing. “The product sells in the local shops as people cannot spot the difference. However, a regular buyer can identify the difference in taste and flavour,” says Riyas, a computer hardware engineer who often consumes cool drinks.
Fake pet bottles of other branded carbonated soft drinks are also sold in the city. These products imitate the graphics and labels of the original ones and are packed in similar bottles. 500 ml PET bottles of the popular brand ‘Sprite’ owned by Coca-Cola Company were also found duplicated recently. These pet bottles are mostly sold in petty shops as tipplers hardly bother about brand values.