COCA-COLA has recalled some drinks from UK retailers after discovering higher than normal levels of chlorate in products from its bottling facility in Ghent, Belgium.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the soft drinks giant’s bottling partner, has identified a specific container in its water treatment process as the origin of the contamination. The company recalled drinks from UK cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets with production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE that were bottled from the contaminated batch on Wednesday.
The affected products were tall cans of regular Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero stocked in cafes and restaurants, as well as supermarket six-packs of Appletiser.
The decision follows similar measures in Luxembourg, Belgium, and The Netherlands on Monday. At the time, Coca-Cola had “alerted the authorities” in the UK after discovering contaminated products had been shipped to Britain which they claimed had already been sold. The company recalled products from the UK on Wednesday “following ongoing dialogue with the UK Food Standards Agency”.
Chlorate is a byproduct formed when chlorine-based disinfectants are used to treat water in food production. Although there is no maximum EU or UK legal level of chlorate in food and drink, the World Health Organization advises it should not exceed 0.7 mg/L. Taken in excess, chlorate can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, and nausea, and can be harmful to the thyroid.
Coca-Cola has not confirmed the amount of chlorate in the contaminated batch, but the UK Food Standards Agency has said the “food safety concerns from these products is low” after completing a risk assessment.
Coca-Cola has confirmed that the “majority” of their products, “including standard cans, and all glass and plastic bottles sold in the UK are not impacted”.
In a statement, Coca-Cola said: “The quality and safety of our products is our top priority and we’re sorry that on this occasion, a small number of our products have not met our high standards, and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
Tina Potter, head of incidents at the UK Food Standards Agency, said: “Based on our risk assessment, the food safety concern from these products is low, especially when consumed only occasionally. However, adverse health effects cannot be ruled out for consumers with pre-existing medical conditions who are sensitive to chlorate.”
Coca-Cola has been approached for comment.
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