Coca-Cola issues safety recall: What to know

What we know:

Coca-Cola has issued a recall for some of its soft drinks after elevated levels of chlorate were found in bottles and cans at a production facility in Belgium.

Batches of Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid and Fuze Tea were among the products recalled in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the company said on Tuesday. 

The recall concerns drinks with production codes 328 GE to 338 GE.

What is chlorate?

Why you should care:

Chlorate is a chemical byproduct of chlorine disinfectants used in water treatment for food processing. It has been linked to serious health issues, particularly in children, by disrupting thyroid function.

Coca-Cola says customers should not consume drinks from the batches concerned and to return them to the point of sale to obtain a refund. 

"We apologize to consumers and our commercial partners," the company said.

Experts say consumers would have to drink a lot of any product contaminated with chlorate to suffer vomiting or other serious illness.

Where is the Coca-Cola recall?

Dig deeper:

Coca-Cola said that it tracked the problem back to one specific container used in its water treatment process at its factory in the city of Ghent while conducting routine safety checks.

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