The recall, which related to Appletiser multipacks and imported cans, was announced by CCEP in January, followed by a statement from the Food Standards Agency on 4 February.
However, it has gained widespread media attention in the last few days, nearly two months since the announcement was made.
In response to the coverage, CCEP gave a statement to The Mirror this week confirming that the recall had been “resolved”.
The products involved remain in date and anyone that still has a can from the impacted batches should not consume it and instead return it for a refund.
The recall related to two imported batches of 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks, as well as a “small amount” of imported cans of Coca‑Cola, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which may contain elevated levels of Chlorate.
As a result, the products could have posed a food safety risk to consumers, especially those who are sensitive to chlorate or have a pre-existing iodine deficiency.
The impacted Coca‑Cola, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero drinks are sold in the taller can format, and were only distributed to cafes and restaurants in the UK for a “limited time period”.
They possess best before dates of 30 November 2025, 31 May 2025, 31 May 2025 and 30 June 2025 respectively, and feature production codes ranging from 328 GE to 338 GE.
Meanwhile, the impacted Appletiser multipacks posses best before dates of 30 November 2025 and 31 December 2025 and have only been distributed to UK supermarkets.
“The majority of Coca‑Cola products, including standard cans, and all glass and plastic bottles sold in the UK are not impacted,” a CCEP statement from January said.
“Whilst independent analysis concluded that the likelihood of any associated risk of feeling temporarily unwell from consuming these products is very low, for the reassurance of consumers, we encourage anyone with an affected can to please call our customer service team on 0800 227711 who will be able to help.
“The quality and safety of our products is our top priority and we’re sorry that on this occasion, a small number of our products have not met our high standards, and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
Head of incidents at the FSA, Tina Potter, concurred that based on the risk assessments conducted, the food safety risk posed is very low.
“However, adverse health effects cannot be ruled out for consumers with pre-existing medical conditions who are sensitive to chlorate,” Potter added.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in the UK launched a new campaign during March which called for consumers to boycott Coca-Cola and its brands, which include Schweppes, Sprite, Fanta, Innocent, Appletiser, Smart Water and Costa Coffee.
This is because the Israeli Coca-Cola franchise operates a regional distribution centre in an industrial park built on an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The campaign has also urged supermarkets, cafes, pubs and restaurants to stop selling Coke products.
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