Coca-Cola HBC Austria recalls millions of plastic bottles over safety concerns

Coca-Cola HBC Austria launched a recall on Wednesday after the franchised bottler said in a statement that some bottles of its popular drinks may contain fragments of metal.

The recall means that up to 28 million half-litre bottles could be affected, according to Deutsche Welle.

The move will impact some products of Sprite, Coca-Cola, MezzoMix and Fanta drinks with a best-before date between 4 February and 12 April 2025.

In a statement, Coca-Cola HBC Austria, said: “It cannot be ruled out that there could be small pieces of metal in a very limited number of 0.5l PET bottles due to a technical error in production. We advise against consuming the potentially affected products due to a possible health risk.

“This is a precautionary measure in close cooperation with the Austrian authorities. All other pack sizes and packaging,  are not affected by this recall."

The company further noted that it regrets the incident and apologised to consumers for any inconvenience caused.

Other brands under the Coca-Cola umbrella, as well as other bottle sizes, are not affected. 

Euronews has contacted Coca-Cola HBC Austria for comment.

Earlier this week, Coca-Cola also reported its third quarter 2024 earnings, recording a fall in net revenues, as some emerging markets continued to lag. Net revenues fell 1% to $11.9bn (€10.99bn), while the operating margin, which includes items impacting comparability, was 21.2% versus 27.4% in the prior year.

Meanwhile, earnings per share slid 7% to $0.66 (€0.61).

Markets like Turkey, China and Mexico witnessed slowdowns, whereas the Philippines, Brazil and Japan markets grew. 

"Our business continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of a dynamic external environment. 

“We are encouraged by our year-to-date performance and our system’s ability to manage near-term challenges while also remaining focused on long-term growth opportunities,” Coca-Cola chief executive, James Quincey, said.