Paris based, National Institute of Consumption reported more than half of leading colas contain traces of alcohol, including Pepsi and Coca Cola. Only the locally produced versions are alcohol free.

However a spokesman for Pepsi admitted,” some soft drinks can contain minute traces of alcohol because of the ingredients used,” although “the Pepsi Cola recipe does not contain alcohol.” The company also suggested that the natural fruits used can fester and can produce minute traces of alcohol.

The tests on the other hand also suggest that the alcohol levels are as low as 10 mg in every liter, and this works out at around 0.001 per cent alcohol.

Michel Pepin, scientific director for Coca-Cola France, acknowledged that "It is possible that traces of alcohol come from the process" of making Coca Cola according to its secret recipe.

He, however, insisted that Coca-Cola drinks were provably 'soft' and recognized as such by the government authorities in which they are sold.