Austria is facing a significant recall of half-litre bottles of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, and MezzoMix, affecting a staggering 28 million bottles, marking one of the largest recalls in the country's history.
According to the Vienna Market Office, this recall is unprecedented in scale and highlights the potential health risks associated with these popular beverages. The recall has been issued for days, but consumers in Austria have told The Local they are still finding bottles in supermarkets and food delivery services.
What led to the recall?
The issue reportedly stems from a potential malfunction during the bottling process, where a sieve may have broken.
This could result in small pieces of metal being present in a limited number of 0.5-litre PET bottles.
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Despite the seriousness of the situation, Alexander Hengl from the Vienna Market Office stated that no injuries or incidents have been reported thus far.
He assured that the cooperation with Coca-Cola during this process has been smooth and effective, according to an ORF report.
Which products are affected?
The recall affects various Coca-Cola products, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Zero Lemon, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine, Coca-Cola Light, as well as different varieties of Fanta (Fanta Orange, Fanta Orange Zero, Fanta Lemon Zero, Fanta Exotic Zero) and Sprite (Sprite, Sprite Zero), along with MezzoMix.
Coca-Cola distributes approximately 14 million of these bottles in the Austrian market each month.
What should consumers do?
Consumers are advised to check their homes for bottles with a best-before date between 4 February 2025 and 12 April 2025. These bottles will also bear the code "WP" printed below the date on the back of the bottle.
Due to potential health risks, these products are not recommended.
Coca-Cola has apologised for the incident and is committed to rectifying the situation.
The company announced that affected products could be returned to food retail outlets for a full refund of the purchase price, even without a receipt.
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