Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta … brands well known by consumers in the heart of an extraordinary reminder. The American Soda giant announced on Monday, January 27, remembering a “considerable amount” of its products in Europe. In question, a content that is too high in chlorate, a chemist used in the treatment of water derived from chlorine.
The drinks in question occurred on Belgian soil before being distributed in several countries. In France, only two lots were distributed, for “foam tea fishing” and coca-cool bottles without liter glass sugars. With a consumer health risk?
Contacted by BFMTV, the Federal Agency for Food Chain (AFSCA) argues that no poisoning case has been identified in the country, or that at least no link had been made at this stage with the products in question.
“It will require a little time to make links between possible symptoms and health problems and drink consumption,” said AFSCA spokeswoman Aline Van den Broeck.
A sometimes “really too high” rate
Chloro is a biocide used in beverage production factories, mainly to disinfect drinking water. It may be present without putting the dangers at a certain rate, established after the study in the European Union by the European Food Security Authority (EFSA).
In this case, it is the “acute” exposure dose called So, the maximum tolerated dose consumed in a single day, which is not respected. It should not exceed “36 µg/kg body weight per day”, which is the case in some of the observed awards.
How much was this rate respected? The observed surpass is “really important in certain lots,” explains Aline Van den Broeck. However, the observed contents were variable from one product to another, even between products, lots and production dates. It was still decided in consultation with the company to make a general retirement.
Clearly: since it is a “acute” exposure threshold, even in a single dose consumption, the exhibition poses a health problem. The risks involved are a bit more difficult to estimate. “It depends on the amount consumed and the worried consumer, if he is a small child with a small body weight or an adult with a heavier weight,” said the spokesman for the Belgian authority.
According to EFSA, consumption too large “can limit the ability of blood to absorb oxygen, resulting in renal failure.” In case of symptoms, it is recommended to resort to a health professional.
“The analysis of independent experts concluded that the probability of an associated risk is very low. We have not received any consumer complaints about this issue,” said the French subsidiary of Coca-Cola.
How to recognize a problematic lot?
The soft drink producer states that at this stage, there is no retirement of these products in France, although two lots have been able to reach the French warehouses. But consumers are still called to surveillance. Here we show you how to locate the problems.
Buyers must identify the production codes ranging from 328 ge to 338 GE “included. If they find them in their cabinets, consumers must return them.
Source: BFM TV
