Mega recall at Coca-Cola 28 million bottles in Austria may contain pieces of metal

According to the Vienna Market Office, Coca-Cola has recalled 28 million half-liter bottles of various soft drink products in Austria as a precautionary measure. It is the largest recall in the country for at least 25 years, said Alexander Hengl, spokesman for the market office.

Coca-Cola HBC Austria GmbH had announced that for reasons of consistent consumer protection, consumers should return "0.5-liter PET lemonade products of the brands Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and MezzoMix" with a best-before date between 04.02.2025 and 12.04.2025.

According to the company, it cannot be ruled out that a very limited number of these bottles may contain small pieces of metal due to a technical error during production.

Recall may take weeks

Coca-Cola also pointed out that not the entire batch from the period in question had gone on sale. Many bottles could still be in the company or in the warehouses of retailers, said a spokesperson.

The market office in Vienna with its 80 inspectors is already monitoring whether retailers are taking the bottles off the shelves, said Hengl. What will happen to the bottles and their contents after the end of the campaign is still uncertain, the spokesman added. He does not expect the recall project to be completed for several weeks.

SDA