The Coca-Cola Company's European beverage bottling unit said on Monday it has ordered a mass recall of Coke, Sprite and other drinks after finding high levels of chlorate that could pose health risks.
Coca-Cola said cans and glass bottles containing high levels of the substance had been distributed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France and Luxembourg since November last year, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in Belgium told AFP.
"We don't have an exact figure, but it's clear it's a significant amount," the company said regarding the amount of drinks with high levels of the chemical substance.
The Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency told Radio Free Europe that so far they have not received any notification regarding doubts about the safety of Coca-Cola products on the Kosovo market.
"The FVA has not yet received any notification of any doubts about the safety of the Coca Cola product marketed in Kosovo. We are monitoring the situation through mechanisms of contacting authorities and food safety organizations. We will keep consumers informed of any changes," said Lamir Thaçi from the FVA.
For food safety, Kosovo receives notifications from the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food (RASFF).
Chlorate can be found in foods, as it originates from chlorine disinfectants that are widely used for water treatment and food processing.
In a scientific opinion published in 2015, the European Food Safety Authority said that long-term exposure to chlorate poses a potential health concern for children, especially those with mild or moderate iodine deficiency.
"Most of the affected products were unsold products that have already been pulled from store shelves and we continue to take measures to remove remaining products from the market," Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said.
But the company's French branch said that analyses by independent experts "concluded that the possibility of a link to a risk" was "very small".
"We have not received any complaints from consumers," the company said.
The affected Coke and Fuze Tea drinks were distributed in France, but the recall order is not currently being implemented in France, the company added.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said it apologized to consumers for the recall order. The company said high levels of the substance were detected during a routine check at its manufacturing plant in Ghent.
The affected products had production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, and included breeds such as Minute Maid, Nalu, Royal Bliss and Tropico, the company said, adding that it is in contact with competent authorities in the affected markets./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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