Chemical burns in the esophagus: Coca-Cola withdrew the beverage from circulation in Croatia

Many people in Croatia are said to have been poisoned by consuming carbonated drinks, including mineral water.

Finally, on Tuesday, there were reports in the media that a young man from Rijeka suffered serious burns to his esophagus after drinking mineral water from the Austrian brand Römerquelle. Coca-Cola temporarily removed the questionable products from circulation on Wednesday following orders from state regulators.

The young man suffered serious chemical burns in his esophagus

As the company announced according to the media, it consists of one batch of Coca-Cola Original Taste and two limited series Römerquelle Emotion blueberry-pomegranate. Even before this decision, individual stores and restaurants had begun removing the affected beverages from their shelves. In fact, Croatia’s largest retail chain, Konzum, removed all Coca-Cola products from sale as a precaution.

Coca-Cola Austria stressed in a statement on Wednesday that the drink affected by Römerquelle is not available on the Austrian market. The Römerquelle product “Emotion Blueberry-Pomegranate” in a 330ml glass bottle was produced for the Croatian market. According to the statement, Coca-Cola Austria informed Austrian authorities in detail about a comprehensive internal investigation, and the analysis did not reveal any problems in bottling. The company also sent samples to an independent, accredited laboratory for further testing. Austrian authorities also took appropriate samples at the production facility in Burgenland today to confirm safety. In response to APA’s request, the Ministry of Health emphasized: “We are in close contact with the company, the responsible food authority and the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) to clarify the issue.”

Croatian authorities sent information to the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on Wednesday evening, but this information does not yet contain more information about the actual source of the diseases. EU member states will only be given brief information on the subject. The Ministry of Health said that the RASFF system enables authorities of EU member states to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner to health risks from food and feed.

Meanwhile, reports of new cases also came from other cities across the country. In Split, a man sought medical attention after drinking mineral water in a cafe. It is said that a similar incident occurred in the Dalmatian city in mid-October. A suspected case was also reported from Karlovac, a city in central Croatia. It was stated that the person in question consumed the Römerquelle product. A patient who was treated at the hospital in Varaždin on Tuesday evening for minor damage to the mucous membrane in his throat stated that he drank Römerquelle, as confirmed in the hospital.

Six more suspected cases in Zagreb

All of the injured were suspected to have caused chemical injuries to the mucous membranes. Authorities said that in addition to the seriously injured young man, six more suspicious cases were known in the capital Zagreb and Varaždin and the investigation was ongoing. Croatian Health Minister Vili Beroš assured that the situation is under control. “There is no reason to panic, but caution is advised,” the minister said at a press conference on Wednesday morning.

Other affected people who went to emergency rooms in Zagreb and Varaždin were diagnosed with minor injuries to the mucous membranes, and no one required hospitalization. According to the Minister of Health, a link with beverage consumption has so far been clearly identified in two of these cases; In others, investigations are ongoing. According to information from Zagreb University Hospital, the possibility of a connection with drinks was excluded in the other three cases.

Chemical burns: Coca-Cola withdrew the drinks from the market in Croatia

The Croatian Coca-Cola subsidiary confirmed on Tuesday that the case in Rijeka was linked to the “Römerquelle Emotion blueberry-pomegranate 300 ml glass bottle”. The company cited an “isolated case” and asked to cooperate with authorities in the investigation. It was said that an internal review conducted in Austria, where Römerquelle products are bottled, did not reveal any problems with production. According to information provided by Coca-Cola Austria to the “24sata” news portal upon request, the samples were also sent to an independent, accredited laboratory for further analysis.

Croatian authorities launched an investigation and police were called, as well as health officials. On Tuesday, a total of 16 samples were taken for analysis at the sanitary inspection in Rijeka. Results still pending. There is now speculation that the contamination of the drinks may have been the result of an error in cleaning the production line.

The Minister of Health defended himself against criticism of insufficient information. “We need to establish possible connections, but we should not scare the population,” he said. “Once a specific connection is established, the public will be informed and until then it will be recommended to drink water,” Beroš said. he added. Authorities were criticized for the fact that the public was only informed about the incident on Tuesday, even though the case in Rijeka had already occurred on Saturday. The symptoms appeared in the young man after a few sips of mineral water. It was stated that the condition of the person, whose treatment continues in the hospital, is stable.

A similar case was reported in Rijeka in May. A man who drank mineral water in a restaurant suffered chemical burns in his esophagus.

(APA/Red)

Source: Vienna

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