Coca-Cola Issues Mass Recall Across Europe Over Safety Concerns 

Coca-Cola has launched a mass recall of its products across Europe due to reported safety concerns. Consumers are urged to check products and follow recall guidelines.

Coca‑Cola Europacific Partners has issued a recall for several products across various European countries due to the discovery of elevated chlorate levels in its drinks.

Small amounts of this chemical compound, a byproduct of chlorine disinfectants, are commonly present in drinking water and on fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority cautioned against potential health risks from long-term exposure, particularly for children. They noted that chlorate “can inhibit iodine uptake,” with high concentrations consumed quickly potentially reducing the blood’s ability to absorb oxygen and causing kidney failure.

On Monday, Belgium’s Coca-Cola Europacific Partners branch announced a recall of several products due to chlorate levels being excessively high. The affected batches are in cans and refillable glass bottles with production codes ranging from 328 GE to 338 GE. Plastic bottles remain unaffected by this issue.

According to the statement, the recall includes brands such as Coca‑Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Fuze Tea, Minute Maid, Nalu, Royal Bliss and Tropico.

“Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium urges consumers to refrain from consuming these products and return the ones with the specified codes to the point of sale for a refund,” advised the company, offering its apologies to customers.

The announcement further stated that “independent expert research determines the risk to consumers is very low.”

AFP reported that, according to the company’s representative, the beverages have been distributed in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the UK since November.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium admitted, “While we do not have an exact number, it is evident that the quantity involved is substantial.” They highlighted that “most of the affected and unsold products have already been taken off store shelves.”

AFP reported that routine checks at the production site in Ghent, Belgium revealed high concentrations of chlorate in beverages.

In October, Coca-Cola HBC Austria GmbH issued a recall for several batches of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, and MezzoMix as a “precautionary measure.” The company explained in a statement that they could “not rule out the possibility of small metal fragments being present in a very limited number of 0.5L PET bottles due to a technical fault during production.”

“The company recommended avoiding consumption of the potentially affected products because of a possible health risk.”