Coca-Cola Recalls Soda in Several Countries for Serious Health Concerns
Coca-Cola has issued an urgent recall for a variety of flavors offered across several countries due to a "serious" contamination risk.
The company announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28 that batches of Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid and Fuze Tea sold in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, as well as parts of France, Germany and Great Britain, were at risk for contamination with chlorate.
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The chemical comes from the chlorine disinfectants used to treat water involved in food processing and was tracked back to one container in particular at its factory in the city of Ghent, located in Belgium.
According to The Associated Press, routine safety checks led to the discovery of a higher-than-normal level of chlorate found in both bottles and cans at the same production plant.
It takes a high quantity to cause acute illness according to the European Food Safety Authority, but a toxic dose can prevent blood from adequately absorbing oxygen and ultimately lead to kidney failure. However, children, particularly those with iodine deficiencies, are at increased risk of thyroid problems from chronic exposure to the chemical.
Experts told the publication it was incredibly unlikely that anyone would consume enough of the contaminated drinks to cause problems like vomiting or other serious illnesses, but the company is still warning customers not to drink the sodas in question.
Consumers in possession of affected batches, which can be identified by production codes 328 GE to 338 GE, can return them to the point of sale for a refund.
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