Coca-Cola recalls a series of soft drink products in Europe

The European arm of Coca-Cola has ordered a recall of soft drinks after discovering high levels of chlorate, which could pose a health risk.

Coca-Cola said its bottled and canned soft drinks containing high levels of chlorate have been distributed in several European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France and Luxembourg since November 2024.

"We don't have exact figures, but it's clear that the number of drinks involved is quite large," Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (headquartered in Belgium) told AFP on January 27. The beverage company has recalled a series of Coke, Sprite and other soft drinks.

Coca-Cola soft drinks are bottled at a factory in France in 2024

Chlorate can be found in food because it comes from chlorine disinfectants widely used in water treatment and food processing. In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority said that long-term exposure to chlorate could pose a health concern for children, especially those with mild or moderate iodine deficiency.

"The majority of affected products and inventory have been removed from shelves. We will continue to take steps to remove all remaining products from the market," Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola's French subsidiary said analysis by independent experts assessed the likelihood of any health risks as "very low" and that it had not received any complaints from consumers. The affected Coke and Fuze Tea products were in shipments to France, but the recall did not apply to the French market.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners apologized for the recall and said it discovered the high chlorate levels during a routine inspection of the manufacturing plant.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/coca-cola-thu-hoi-hang-loat-san-pham-nuoc-giai-khat-tai-chau-au-185250128084828163.htm