In Croatia, health authorities on Wednesday ordered Coca-Cola to recall some of its products and temporarily banned their distribution after multiple cases of poisoning were reported in three cities in the country.
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“In the interest of public health and to protect people’s health, the health inspection temporarily banned the trading company from distribution on the market due to suspicions regarding food safety (…) and ordered the recall of suspicious products,” the Croatian General Inspectorate said in a press release.
According to the same source, samples of several drinks distributed by Coca-Cola Croatia, mineral water and Coca-Cola, are currently being analyzed in laboratories of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.
The preliminary results of these analyzes should be known later today.
The Inspectorate General does not specify how many products are affected by its decision, but the company, for its part, claims to have decided to “temporarily” stop producing a series of Coca-Cola and two series of carbonated mineral water.
Coca-Cola Croatia explains in a press release quoted by the official Hina agency that it acted in this way in accordance with the regulator’s instructions, “even if (its) internal analysis did not show any irregularities in production or in products.” “.
Since the hospitalization of a 19-year-old young man in Rijeka (west) on Saturday after consuming a suspicious drink in a cafe, several more cases of poisoning have been reported in Zagreb and Varazdin (north), said Croatian Minister of Health Vili Beros .
“Relatively mild symptoms”
According to the minister, the first patient, who is in a “stable” condition, is suffering from “serious injuries, damage to the digestive tract” caused by “corrosive” substances.
A total of eight more people were admitted to hospitals, mostly in Zagreb, but “all of these patients have relatively mild symptoms” and most of them can be treated at home, according to the same source.
However, the minister specified that it is currently possible to establish a “direct link” between the poisoning and a drink consumed in only two patients.
He denounced the spread of “false news” on social networks that reported several cases of poisoning, particularly in Rijeka, and whose aim, in his opinion, was to create “panic.” “In general, I would say that there is no reason to panic at all, but a certain level of vigilance is necessary,” said the minister, still calling on people to drink tap water.
However, the country’s largest food and distribution group, Fortenova, announced in a press release that “all non-alcoholic drinks from the manufacturer Coca-Cola” will be “preventively” recalled from its store networks until release. “Get official information from authorities on product safety and behavior.”
The regional association of restaurateurs, for its part, “suggested” its members to “remove potentially risky products from their range”.