Coca Cola Vietnam fined $19,186 for food safety violations

By VnExpress July 28, 2016 | 03:25 pm PT

Photo by Reuters

It is also asked to recall batches of an energy drink product.

Coca Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd., the Vietnamese subsidiary of U.S. soft drink giant Coca-Cola, has been fined a total of VND433.688 million ($19,186) for violations in production of food supplement.

According to a statement posted Thursday on the website of the Ministry of Health, an inspection conducted by the ministry last month found that three plants of Coca Cola Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi produced food supplement without obtaining any certificate on food hygiene and safety granted by the ministry.

In addition, the ministry also found the content of vitamin B9 (acid folic) in the company's Samurai Strawberry energy drink lower than what it had declared. The ministry ordered Coca Cola Vietnam to recall the batches, which will expire in May 2017.

Coca Cola Vietnam is obliged to pay its fines within 10 days.

In late May this year, URC Hanoi Co. Ltd., the Vietnamese branch of the Filipino food and beverage firm Universal Robina Corporation (URC), was also fined by the health ministry VND5.812 billion ($257,110) for producing and selling products with excessive lead content.

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