As Coca-Cola pull thousands of ‘contaminated’ sodas from shelves in Europe – UK health chiefs launch urgent probe… and reveal hidden risks that could be lurking in cans

Scientists have long known that those who regularly guzzle fizzy drinks, like Coca Cola, are more likely to suffer a host of heart and dental problems, compared to those who opt for water.

But now the soda is attracting fresh attention after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) yesterday launched an investigation into potential chlorate contamination. 

It came hours after Coca-Cola revealed it had recalled products including Fuze Tea, Fanta, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Tropico in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands as testing had revealed ‘elevated levels’ of the chemical.

Bosses were unsure of the exact number of drinks affected, however, they added that the ‘majority affected and unsold products’ had been removed. 

The company’s bottling partner, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, also said it had not yet received any ‘consumer complaints or concerns in Great Britain’. 

Chlorate is a chemical compound often present in food and water due to its use in water treatment and food processing. 

It is a by-product of chlorine, widely recognised for its use in swimming pools and as a disinfectant. 

While small amounts are typically harmless, research has long suggested that high levels of exposure can pose a serious health risks — particularly to vulnerable groups such as the elderly — including thyroid dysfunction and even kidney failure. 

Bosses were unsure of the exact number of drinks affected, however, they added that the ‘majority affected and unsold products’ had been removed

In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority said that long-term exposure to chlorate could be a ‘potential health concern for children’.

The same report also found that chronic exposure over time can inhibit iodine uptake. 

An iodine deficiency may impair the function of the thyroid — which regulates many of the body’s function, including metabolism. 

‘A high intake of chlorate on a single day could be toxic for humans as it can limit the blood’s ability to absorb oxygen, leading to kidney failure,’ it added. 

This is because very high doses can cause methemoglobinaemia — a rare blood disorder that occurs when there’s too much methemoglobin in the blood, preventing red blood cells from delivering enough oxygen. 

A 2021 report by the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority also concluded that prolonged chlorate exposure ‘will have an impact on the thyroid gland due to competitive inhibition of iodine uptake’ causing long term issues.

However, they also noted that the ‘disruption of the balance of thyroid hormones have been observed in rats and mice. There are no studies available on these effects in humans’. 

One 2012 Italian study also found that women exposed to high chlorate levels in drinking water while pregnant were at ‘higher risk of newborns with obstructive urinary defects’.

Anne Gravett, a product manager at the FSA, said: ‘If we identify any unsafe food, we’ll take action to ensure it is removed and alert consumers’

Emerging evidence suggests drinking lots of sugary drinks may increase risk of heart disease because they are thought to raise triglycerides — a type of fat that can thicken the arteries supplying the heart 

Writing in the journal Environmental Research, researchers said babies were also at higher risk of cleft palate — an opening or split in the roof of the mouth — and spina bifida, when their spine and spinal cord does not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine.

Coca-Cola has not disclosed the precise levels of chlorate detected in the affected batches of its products. 

However, according to the EFSA’s guidelines, consuming up to 36 micrograms of chlorate per kilogram of body weight daily is considered safe. 

Officials said the product recall is a precautionary measure to minimise potential health risks, ensuring that long-term exposure to elevated chlorate levels is avoided.

Anne Gravett, a product manager at the FSA, said: ‘If we identify any unsafe food, we’ll take action to ensure it is removed and alert consumers.’

In a statement, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners also said: ‘The recall is focused on Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the majority of affected products have been withdrawn from sale.

‘Routine testing identified that certain products contained elevated levels of chlorate.

‘Independent expert analysis concluded that the likelihood of any associated risk of feeling temporarily unwell from consuming these products is very low.

‘This has affected a very small number of imported cans of Appletiser, Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero with production codes from 328 GE to 338 GE, which can be found on the base of the can.

‘We have flagged this issue to the food safety authorities in Great Britain and we remain in communication with them.

‘We have had no consumer complaints or concerns in Great Britain.’  

Emerging evidence suggests drinking lots of sugary drinks may increase risk of heart disease because they are thought to raise triglycerides — a type of fat that can thicken the arteries supplying the heart.

High sugar intake, particularly from sugary beverages, has also been show to lead to fat accumulation in the liver, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and — potentially, according to some research — a higher risk of liver cancer.  

One 2023 major review of research into added sugars also found excess consumption of sugary drinks — such a fizzy drinks, smoothies and fruit juices — is linked to 45 different health conditions.

Scientists found that for every sugary drink consumed, people had a 17 per cent higher risk of heart disease, a 4 per cent higher risk of death overall and 4 per cent higher risk of gout.

It was also firmly linked to ten cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke as well as seven cancers including breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Excess sugar was also associated with other health issues such asthma, tooth decay and depression, according to the findings published in the BMJ.