Coca-Cola should do more

The assertion by Coca-Cola executives in Nairobi that the company is being targeted by a US public watchdog over the safety of its products in the Third World because of its success is not enough to allay the public health concerns raised by the agency.

The Centre for Science in Public Interest tested samples of the company’s flagship Coke brand in nine countries including Kenya and found that the product contained large amounts of the chemical 4-methylimidazole which has been linked to cancer in animals.

The use of that chemical by both Coca-Cola and Pepsi has been restricted in the US state of California following research which showed that it is potentially dangerous.

Samples tested in California showed that the Coke sold there had 4 micrograms of the chemical while the samples tested in Brazil contained 267 micrograms and in Kenya the amount was 177 micrograms.

This is unacceptable. Coca-Cola is right in stating that it is a mega conglomerate which employs thousands of people across the world.

But the message from the watchdog report is that the same safety standard should apply across the world.