There has been a “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 statement comes after the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the company’s bottling partner, said batches of Appletiser, Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero were pulled from the shelves in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands after testing revealed “elevated levels” of the chemical.
On Tuesday Tina Potter, of the FSA, said the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners international product withdrawal relates to a “small number of their soft drinks” which contained higher levels of the chemical.
If we identify any unsafe food, we’ll take action to ensure it is removed and alert consumers
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.”
Chlorate is a by-product of the breakdown of chlorine-based sanitisers and chlorine chemicals, which are frequently used to sterilise water.
It can cause iodine deficiency in people and is regulated with legal maximum residue limits for a range of foods, including fresh produce, according to Food Standards Scotland.
In a statement, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners previously said the recall had been focused on Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the majority of affected products had been withdrawn from sale.
It said it had “flagged” this issue to Britain’s food safety authorities and was in communication with them.
It added: “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.”
In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority found that levels of chlorate in drinking water and foods were too high and could result in serious health effects, especially among infants and children.
These included impaired functioning of the thyroid due to inhibition of iodine uptake.
