Vietnam suspends sales of 13 Coca-Cola products
Inspectors from the Ministry of Health have ordered major cities and provinces to supervise the suspension of the production and sales of 13 products of Coca-Cola Vietnam, including popular brands Minute Maid and Samurai.
Last month, inspectors started to check Coca-Cola Vietnam branches in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang.
They found that the company's plants in the cities were manufacturing 13 products that Vietnam categorizes as "supplemented food," which is a food product with added minerals and vitamins.
Inspectors said the factories were only licensed to produce bottled drinks and did not have separate safety certificates required for producing supplemented food products.
On June 23, Coca-Cola Vietnam announced it would halt the production and sales of the products and recall those already on local shelves, while seeking for new licenses.
The 13 listed products are milk drink Minute Maid Nutriboost in orange, strawberry and mango flavors, carbonated energy drink Samurai in strawberry flavor in glass and PET bottles, Samurai in glass and PET bottles, Minute Maid Teppy Orange Drink in glass and PET bottles, sports drink Aquarius in PET bottles and cans, bottled water Dasani, and Minute Maid Splash Smooth.
Editor's note:
Coca-Cola Vietnam on July 1 afternoon said it has just received certificates required for producing supplemented food products.
The HCMC plant has resumed production of the products, and the other plants in Hanoi and Da Nang will follow in several days, according to Nguyen Khoa My, External Relations Director of Coca-Cola Vietnam.
