Coca-Cola was told by Croatian authorities on Thursday that its products are safe for consumption. The soft drink giant announced this on Friday. On Wednesday, Coca-Cola had to remove certain drinks from the shelves in Croatia after three reports of possible poisoning.
The Croatian food inspectorate temporarily banned the company from distributing certain products on Wednesday. This was a measure pending the analysis of several samples.
“After extensive testing of Coca-Cola and Romerquelle Emotion Blueberry Pomegranate products, the Croatian authorities officially confirmed yesterday that our products are safe for consumption,” the group now said. “After the uncertainty of recent days, we are pleased with the clarity that these test results bring to our consumers and customers.”
Coca-Cola does say that it received confirmation from the Croatian Ministry of the Interior of “one isolated incident (…) linked to one bottle of Romerquelle Emotion Blueberry Pomegranate” in the city of Rijeka. A 19-year-old man ended up in hospital there after drinking in a café. His condition is “stable”, but he reportedly suffered serious injuries, it was said on Wednesday.
“We will continue to support the authorities in Croatia, with full transparency, as they continue to investigate the incident in Rijeka,” Coca-Cola said. “We deeply regret this incident and emphasize that we maintain the highest quality standards in every market in which we operate.”