Several people in Croatia are said to have suffered poisoning from consuming carbonated drinks, including mineral water. On Tuesday, the media reported about a young man from Rijeka who suffered serious burns to his esophagus after drinking mineral water from the Austrian brand Römerquelle. Authorities have now announced six more suspected cases in the capital Zagreb and Varazdin, and an investigation is underway.
It was said that those affected, suspected of chemical damage to the mucous membranes, had consumed several soft drinks. Croatian Health Minister Vili Beros assured that the situation was under control. “There is no reason to panic, but caution is required,” the minister said at a press conference on Wednesday.
It has not yet been specified which drinks were involved. All that was confirmed was that the Rijeka case was caused by Römerquelle branded mineral water; in one of the cases in Zagreb it was Coca-Cola. According to media reports, other cases also involved drinks from the Coca-Cola company.
Investigations ongoing
The other affected people who went to the emergency room in Zagreb and Varazdin were diagnosed with minor injuries to the mucous membrane, and none required inpatient treatment. According to the Minister of Health, a link with beverage consumption has so far been clearly established in two of these cases; the others are still under investigation. According to information from the Zagreb University Hospital, a link with alcohol has now been ruled out in three other cases.
Coca-Cola’s Croatian subsidiary confirmed on Tuesday that the case in Rijeka was linked to a “glass bottle of Römerquelle Emotion blueberry-pomegranate 300 ml”. The company spoke of an “isolated case” and wanted to cooperate with authorities in the investigation. From Austria, where the Römerquelle products are bottled, it was said that an internal investigation had revealed no problems with production. In addition, samples were sent to an independent, accredited laboratory for further analysis, Coca-Cola Austria said upon request.
Possible error during cleaning
The Croatian authorities started an investigation and, in addition to the health authorities, the police were also involved. On Tuesday, the sanitary inspection in Rijeka took a total of 16 samples for analysis. The results are still pending. There is now speculation that the contamination of the drinks could be the result of a mistake in cleaning the production line.
The public is informed late
The Minister of Health defended himself against criticism of insufficient information. Any connections must be made, but the population should not be frightened, he says. “Once a certain connection is established, the public will be informed and until then it is recommended to drink water,” Beros said. Authorities were criticized for not informing the public about the incident until Tuesday, while the case in Rijeka had already occurred on Saturday. The young man developed complaints after a few sips of mineral water. He is still being treated in hospital and is said to be in stable condition.
A similar case in Rijeka was reported in May. A man also suffered chemical burns to his esophagus after drinking bottled water at a restaurant.
Source: Krone
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