Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has moved swiftly to alleviate concerns among South African consumers following the company’s recall of certain soft drink products in Europe.
It clarified yesterday that South African-made products have not been affected by the European recall which came over chemical concerns.
The reassurance that the local products are safe comes following the announcement earlier this week of potential health hazards associated with elevated levels of chlorate identified in products from a production facility in Belgium.
“We can confirm that products produced and sold in South Africa are not affected by this recall,” stated the company firmly, dispelling any lingering fears among consumers in Mzansi.
This will come as a relief to some South Africans, who even in the light of the European recall, reacted by saying they didn’t want to give up their soft drinks. One netizen claimed: “Count me out. This is one drink I'll never stop buying”.
The European recall involves popular brands such as Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, and Tropico, which have been distributed to Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France, and Luxembourg since November.
The Belgian operations of Coca-Cola’s international bottling and distribution unit confirmed that the recall was prompted by detecting higher-than-normal levels of chlorate - a chemical compound that, while commonly found in food as a by-product of chlorine disinfectants, used in water treatment can lead to health complications, particularly in children and infants.
In light of this situation, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has stated that the safety and quality of its beverages remain its utmost priority.
An official statement highlighted the low likelihood of risk for consumers, citing independent analyses conducted in consultation with authorities in the affected regions. The affected batches were traced back to production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE.
“We are recalling these products because they contain higher levels of chlorate,” the company announced. “This is done with an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our consumers”.
They further noted that chlorate, while not uncommon in trace amounts, poses little threat under standard consumption guidelines.
The swift dissemination of information did not prevent ripples of unease across social media platforms in South Africa, where users voiced their concerns about the integrity of local Coca-Cola products.
Comments ranged from humour to worry, while others expressed doubt and dissatisfaction with the taste of their recent purchases.
One user wrote: “Worse ndiphez’kwayo (loosely translated, “Worse, I’m drinking it right now”.)
A second user wrote”: “So now we should vomit it?”
A third wrote: “Bought it the other day it didn't taste right and had a bitter aftertaste”.
A fourth said, “The battle between choosing Coke or water in the fridge is too much sometimes”.
