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Coca-Cola cleared of contamination in China

Xinhua, April 19, 2012

• Beverage samples supplied by Coca-Cola Shanxi Beverages Co., Ltd. have been found to be free of chlorine after being analyzed following an allegation of contamination by one of the company's employees, authorities in Shanxi Province said Wednesday.

  On Tuesday, an anonymous employee of the company told local media that nine batches of beverage products had been contaminated with chlorine during a routine pipe maintenance procedure.

  The report was disseminated online, leading some retailers to refuse to purchase products from the company. The company responded by denying the claim, stating that it would ensure its rights in accordance with the law.

  An investigation and analysis conducted on Tuesday by the Food Quality Safety Supervision Testing Institute of Shanxi Province and the Shanxi Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Technology Center found that the chlorine levels of the nine allegedly contaminated batches were found to be lower than that of purified drinking water, the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision said on Wednesday.

  The products are therefore safe for consumption, the experts concluded.

  "Drinking small amounts of chloric beverages won't hurt people, but large amounts can," said Fu Yingwen, director of the center.

  The company responded to a request for comment by stating that the investigation showed that its beverages are safe.

  According to the Shanxi Province Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, the nine batches in question were used to produce 121,058 cases of beverages between Feb. 4 and 8. As of Tuesday, 76,391 cases have been sold, while the rest still remain in the company's hands.

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