Coca-Cola Europacific Partners issued a major recall of its popular drinks, including Coke, Sprite, and Fuze Tea, following an assessment indicating high chlorate levels that the firm says may pose health risks. Products were distributed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France, and Luxembourg, from November.
The firm said although it did not give an exact figure, the number of affected drinks is considerable. “We do not have a precise figure, but it is clear that it is a considerable quantity,” Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium said. Chlorate, a byproduct of chlorine disinfectants widely used both in drinking water treatment and food processing facilities, can be considered toxic upon ingestion at high levels over an extended period, especially for children with mild or moderate iodine deficiency.
“The majority of the affected and unsold products have already been removed from store shelves and we continue to take measures to remove all remaining products from the market,” Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium said.
However, Coca-Cola’s French unit pointed out that independent experts “concluded that the probability of an associated risk” was “very low.” “We have not received any complaints from consumers on this subject,”,” the company added.
Coca-Cola Affected and Recall Information
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said the majority of products affected have already been removed from the shelves in all countries affected. The company continues its efforts to pull out all the remaining products from the market. The beverages include Coke, Fuze Tea, Minute Maid, Nalu, Royal Bliss, and Tropico, and all of them fall under the production codes 328 GE to 338 GE.
“We are in contact with the competent authorities in each of the affected markets,” the company said. The recall was initiated by a routine check at the company’s manufacturing facility in Ghent, Belgium, where higher chlorate levels were found.
Ongoing Measures to Protect the Consumer Interest
Even though the recall does not currently apply to the French market, Coca-Cola’s French branch has taken preventive measures such as stopping the sales of the affected products. Though the recall is significant, the company reassured consumers that the risk to health remains minimal based on expert analysis.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has apologized for the inconvenience caused by the recall and pledged to take all necessary actions to safeguard public health.