Coca-Cola has started a major recall in Germany and other European countries due to the high chlorate levels. These are product batches from Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta and other brands, the European bottling plant of the drink giant in Belgium explained on Monday.
The reason for the recall is that high chlorate levels were found during checks. The recall relates to cans and glass bottles that have been distributed since November in Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, France and Luxembourg, told Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium to AFP news agency. “Although we do not have an exact number, it is clear that it is a considerable amount.”
Chlorate contamination discovered during checks
During routine checks at the production location in Ghent, in the northeast of Belgium, high chlorate levels were detected, according to the company, and at the same time apologized to customers. This applies to drinks with a production code from 328 GE to 338 GE. They may not be consumed. They could be returned to the stores where the purchase price would be repaid.
According to the European Commission’s website, chlorate in food mainly comes from chlorine disinfectants used for water treatment and food processing.
Chlorate is particularly dangerous for children
In a scientific advice from 2015, the European Food Safety Authority estimated that long -term intake of chlorate through food could cause a potentially health problem for children, especially for children with a slight iodine deficiency.
Products that have already been removed from the shelves
The majority of the products affected by the recall and have not yet been sold have already been removed from the supermarket and store shelves according to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium.
“We continue to take steps to get remaining products from the market,” said the company. The company is in contact with the responsible authorities in the individual countries.
Only in October Coca-Cola had to remove 26 million bottles from the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Mezzomix brands from the circulation “because of possible strange metals,” as the company said.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
