Coca-Cola’s European bottling unit has recalled its drinks in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands after finding “higher levels” of a thyroid-disrupting chemical called chlorate. The impacted products reportedly include Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Tropico, and Minute Maid brands.

The affected soft drinks in cans and glass bottles have been distributed in Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands since November and five product lines were sent to Britain at the end of last year.

They are marked with production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, notes the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA) in Belgium. Cans and glass bottles with other production codes, as well as plastic PET bottles, drink fountains or tetra-packs are also not affected.

Chlorates have been used in plant protection products in the past, but this is no longer permitted in Europe, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. While chronic high exposure to the chemical can lead to impaired thyroid function in humans, occasional consumption of foods with high chlorate levels is “unlikely” to lead to acute health effects, it says.

The EU also regulates the maximum level of chlorate residue that is allowed in food. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment deems the chemical particularly risky for people with thyroid disorders and infants, but one-time exposure “has only a negligible effect.” 

In a statement sent to Food Ingredients First, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners says: 

“Following ongoing dialogue with the UK Food Standards Agency, we are recalling a small number of imported cans of 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks which were sent only to supermarkets in the UK.

“We are also removing a small amount of tall, imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were sent only to cafes and restaurants during a limited time period.”

“All affected cans have the production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, which can be found on the base of the can. The majority of Coca-Cola products, including standard cans, and all glass and plastic bottles sold in the UK are not impacted.”

“While independent analysis concluded that the likelihood of any associated risk of feeling temporarily unwell from consuming these products is very low, for the reassurance of consumers, we encourage anyone with an affected can to please call our customer service team on 0800 227711 who will be able to help.” 

“No other Coca-Cola products are affected by the issue. The quality and safety of our products is our top priority and we’re sorry that on this occasion, a small number of our products have not met our high standards, and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Authorities take action

The AFSCA has extended the recall to include the zero and diet variants of these drinks in Belgium.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has also expressed concerns over the incident and is investigating if the country’s bottling agency Swire Coca-Cola HK has imported or sold the affected batches of products.

“The CFS will closely monitor the progress of the incident. The trade should also stop using or selling the products concerned immediately,” the organization says in a statement.

Last year in Austria, Coca-Cola recalled millions of plastic bottles due to concerns that they might have contained metal fragments. 

In 2022, the soft drink giant also recalled a limited number of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar multipacks with Christmas-themed packaging after finding some of the drinks incorrectly packed with Coca-Cola Original Taste. This posed a potential risk to consumers who need to watch their sugar intake.