Coca-Cola recalls zero sugar drinks with sugar « Euro Weekly News

Coca-Cola’s sweet mistake: zero sugar product recall!

Photo of the sugar free lemonade by Coca-Cola that was recalled

Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade recalled by Coca-Cola as contained sugar Credit:X:@MarioNawfal

Best-selling brand Coca-Cola’s reputation was nearly fizzled out as it was obliged to recall a top-selling “zero sugar” drink from its range after discovering that it actually does contain sugar.

Famous for its trusted light, zero and even zero zero products, it may have come as an unprecedented blow to the multinational enterprise.Last month, the Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade drink was pulled off the shelves after finding that in 13,152 cases of the beverage, it was incorrectly labelled as containing no sugar.

Zero sugar lemonade drink by Coca-Cola contained as much sugar as McDonald’s McFlurry

Embarassingly, the drink did actually contain 40 grams of sugar per 12-ounce can, which experts say is the equivalent to a McDonald’s McFlurry. According to the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the product was recalled after having been transported to stores in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.  The affected drinks were successfully removed from the shop floor amounting to 12 cartons of a dozen 12-ounce cans and customers who had already purchased the product were advised to discard them or return them to a supermarket to receive a refund.

Coca-Cola removed all zero sugar products that contained sugar following case of mislabelling

In a statemen, a spokesperon for Coca-Cola said: “In September, Coca-Cola Consolidated voluntarily recalled a limited quantity of Minute Maid Lemonade 12-ounce cans in parts of Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. No impacted product remains on the market, and all recall activities in those markets are complete.” Despite this, it has raised some minor concerns as although a remote likelihood, possible health consequences could have arisen from drinking the product including consumers with diabetes, where sugar levels are stringently monitored and controlled.

The company’s apology underscores the importance of transparency in food and beverage labelling. While the immediate health risk has been minor, this incident may lead to increased consumer skepticism toward sugar-free products, even from a well-established brand like Coca-Cola. As the company works to restore trust, it highlights the ongoing need for rigorous quality control and clear communication to ensure that consumers can make informed choices without fear of misinformation.

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Written by

Johanna Gardener

Originally from Manchester, UK and with a degree in English with Modern Foreign Languages, she has been a permanent resident in Spain for the past 12 years. Many of these years, she has spent working as a secondary school teacher, as well as in journalism, editing and marketing. She currently lives in the historic centre of Malaga, where she enjoys writing, walking and animals.

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