IN A reprieve to the soft drink major, Pepsico India, the Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the criminal prosecution cases against the company and its directors for the presence of pesticide carbofuran in its soft drinks. The court said after the prescription of level of insecticide residue for carbonated water from year 2009, the presence of carbofuran to the extent of 0.001 mg per litre shall not be treated as adulterated within the meaning of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The court also allowed the appeals of the directors of the company against whom criminal prosecution cases simultaneously started in the alleged complaint against the company. According to the court, the directors of the company cannot be prosecuted on the ground that they were at the helm of the affairs of the company at the time of such complaint.