Recalled Coca-Cola drinks not supplied to Thailand, FDA confirms
State agency drafting legislation to set a standard for chlorate levels in water used in food and soft drink production
Soft drinks recalled by Coca-Cola due to excessive chlorate levels were never brought into Thailand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clarified on Wednesday.
Last month, Coca-Cola recalled some of its soft drinks in Europe after detecting high levels of chlorate in products from its plant in Ghent, Belgium. Chlorate is produced when chlorine-based disinfectants are used in water treatment and food processing.
To alleviate public concern, FDA had investigated the incident and found that no Coca-Cola soft drinks from the Belgian plant were imported to Thailand.
Most imported soft drinks in Thai markets came from ASEAN countries, including Laos and Singapore, FDA deputy secretary-general Lertchai Lertvut said.
He added that the FDA is drafting a legislation to set a standard for chlorate levels in water used in food and soft drink production processes. The proposed standard will be in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), at no more than 0.7 milligram per litre.
Lertchai said that the draft regulation, which aims to ensure that food and beverage products in Thailand meet international safety standards, is currently in the public hearing stage.
He also affirmed that the FDA had been rigorously monitoring the import and manufacturing of food and beverage products, as well as performing random tests regularly to ensure that they comply with the safety standards.
