Coca-Cola beverage samples 'free of contamination in China’

Beverage analysis on samples supplied by Coca-Cola Shanxi Beverages Co Ltd have been found to be free of contamination, after they were alleged to contain traces of chlorine.

An anonymous employee from the company leaked the contamination to the news this week, telling local media that nine batches of beverage products could have been contaminated during a routine pipe-cleaning exercise.

However, an investigation and analysis conducted by the Food Quality Safety Supervision Testing Institute of Shanxi Province and the Shanxi Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Technology Centre judged the claims to be unfounded, reporting that chlorine levels in the samples were all below that of purified drinking water.

The experts have concluded that the products are safe for consumption, with Fu Yingwen, director of the centre, explaining: "Drinking small amounts of chloric beverages won't hurt people, but large amounts can.”

Most of the products have now gone on to be sold, with the Shanxi Province Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision reporting that the nine batches in question were used to produce 121,058 cases of beverages between Feb 4th and 8th. As of Tuesday, 76,391 cases have been sold, while the rest still remain in the company's hands.

Posted by Ben Evans