Croatia’s authorities have officially declared Coca-Cola products safe for consumption following extensive testing, the US beverage company said on Friday.
On Wednesday, the Croatian General Inspectorate had ordered a recall of certain Coca-Cola products and temporarily banned their distribution, following reports of multiple intoxications in three cities.
“Croatia’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed yesterday (Thursday) an isolated incident in Rijeka involving a bottle of Romerquelle Emotion Blueberry Pomegranate,” Coca Cola announced.
Romerquelle Emotion Blueberry Pomegranate is a fruit-flavoured mineral water produced by Coca Cola HBC, a bottling partner of Coca Cola.
“The safety and health of our consumers being our priority, we allowed the Croatian authorities time to conduct their investigation,” Coca Cola said. “We will continue to support the Croatian authorities transparently as they investigate the Rijeka incident.”
A total of nine people had been admitted to hospitals, most with relatively mild symptoms.
The first patient, a 19-year-old man now in stable condition, had been hospitalised in Rijeka on Saturday due to severe digestive tract injuries after consuming a suspect beverage in a café.
