BUTTERWORTH (Feb 8): Malaysia is not affected by the carbonated drink products which are alleged to contain high levels of chlorate as reported in some European countries, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said that based on feedback from the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Food Safety and Quality Programme, there was no evidence that the product in Malaysia had been affected so far.

Dzulkefly clarified that only Coca-Cola Europe Pacific Partners products which were distributed in European countries like Belgium, Luxembourg, the UK, and the Netherlands were affected.

“It is not a global phenomenon; it may be related to the supply chain of a particular batch or a particular consignment.

“We (MOH) will continue to monitor but as of today, we have not yet obtained any evidence of being affected. There is no red (on the product) in Malaysia and the Asian region,” he told a press conference after officiating the  Seberang Perai Utara Wellness Hub Open Day at the Sungai Dua Health Clinic here on Saturday.

Earlier, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urged the MOH to conduct tests and suspend the sale of Coca-Cola products in Malaysia following their recall in Europe due to high chlorate levels.

According to CAP, Coca-Cola Malaysia currently manufactures, markets, and distributes over 80 products.

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