Coca-Cola recall means 'limited distribution' in UK after chemical found in soft drinks

There has been “limited distribution to the UK” of Coca-Cola soft drinks containing higher levels of a chemical called chlorate, the Food Standards Agency has said.

The announcement follows the actions of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the corporation’s bottling partner, which withdrew stocks of Appletiser, Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands after tests indicated "elevated levels" of the chemical.

On Tuesday, Tina Potter from the FSA said that the international product withdrawal by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners concerns only a "small number of their soft drinks" affected by the heightened levels of chlorate.

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She said: "We can confirm that there has been limited distribution to the UK of the affected products."

“We are working with relevant authorities and the business directly to assess if there is a food safety concern for UK consumers.

“If we identify any unsafe food, we’ll take action to ensure it is removed and alert consumers.”

Chlorates are derivative products of the degradation of chlorine-based cleansers and disinfectants often employed for purifying water, which can lead to iodine deficiency in humans.

These compounds are managed under legal maximum residue limits for various foods, including fresh produce, as per Food Standards Scotland.

In a previous statement, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners revealed that the recall was primarily concentrated in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where most of the affected products had been pulled from the shelves.

The company stated it had alerted the UK's food safety authorities about this issue and was in ongoing discussions with them.

It further noted: "Independent expert analysis concluded that the likelihood of any associated risk of feeling temporarily unwell from consuming these products is very low.

"This has affected a very small number of imported cans of Appletiser, Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero with production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, which can be found on the base of the can."

On Wednesday, following discussions with the FSA, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners confirmed it was also recalling a small number of imported cans of 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks which were sent only to supermarkets in the UK.

"We are also removing a small amount of tall, imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were sent only to cafes and restaurants during a limited time period," it added.

"All affected cans have the production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, which can be found on the base of the can. The majority of Coca-Cola products, including standard cans, and all glass and plastic bottles sold in the UK are not impacted."

In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority discovered that chlorate levels in drinking water and food were excessively high, potentially leading to serious health effects, particularly among infants and children.

These included impaired thyroid function due to inhibited iodine uptake.

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