Lisbon, Jan. 28, 2025 (Lusa) - Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) said on Tuesday that the large-scale recall of products for excessive chlorate content is only taking place in the European countries mentioned on Monday, from which Portugal is excluded.

"This was an identified and isolated occurrence, and as mentioned only affects the countries mentioned. We can confirm that products produced in Portugal are not affected by this situation," CCEP said  in a written response to Lusa.

On Monday, Coca-Cola's European bottler in Belgium announced a large-scale recall of European products due to excessive chlorate content. The recall concerns cans and glass bottles of Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Fuze Tea, Minute Maid, Nalu, Royal Bliss, and Trópico, which were distributed in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Luxembourg and have been in circulation since the end of November.

"We don't have an exact figure, but it's clear that we're talking about a considerable amount," Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Belgium told AFP.

"Most of the unsold products in question have been removed from shop shelves, and we are continuing to take steps to withdraw all remaining products from the market," the company said.

The bottler, which has apologised, asks that the products in question not be consumed and that they can be returned to the point of sale for a refund.

"At our production site in Ghent, we are conducting tests as part of our control and regulatory compliance procedures. These tests have identified high chlorate levels," the company explained.

In a 2015 scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority considered that long-term exposure to chlorate in food could pose a potential health problem for children, especially those suffering from mild to moderate iodine deficiency.

MPE/ADB // ADB.

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