Co-op recalls its own brand Low Calorie Bitter Lemon due to the presence of high levels of benzene

Friday 31 March 2006

Food Alert: for Information

Ref: 19/2006 (20/2006 Scotland)

Co-op has recalled all batches of its own brand Low Calorie Bitter Lemon, 1 litre carbonated drink, due to the presence of high levels of benzene.

People who have inhaled very high levels of benzene in the workplace have been found to increase their risk of cancer. Benzene has been detected at far lower levels in some soft drinks. Its presence in soft drinks is thought to be the result of an interaction between the preservative sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Co-op has undertaken a product recall of all batches. Point-of-sale notices appeared in Co-op stores as of yesterday. Those notices will advise customers of the reason for the recall and the actions they can take if they have already purchased the affected product.

The affected product is:
Co-op Low Calorie Bitter Lemon, 1 Litre

No other Co-op products are known to be affected

A customer careline has been provided on 0800 0686727.