/ 24 August 2000

SENEGALESE SAY NO TO ‘SLIMY’ COKE

THE Senegal government has ordered the local Coca Cola affiliate to halt production of Coca Cola and Sprite after a consumer protection organisation complained that “slimy substances” had been discovered in several one-litre bottles, the BBC reported. The ban came in response to a growing public outcry which has prompted the government to conduct immediate preliminary tests to see if the brands are fit for human consumption. If the investigation proves that there is some form of contamination, sales of the two affected brands will be banned indefinitely, and the Dakar-based affiliate of Coca Cola could be shut down for good. Managers at the Coca Cola plant said they were not to blame and suggested that this was the work of a rival company. The consumer protection organisation has also reported finding maggots and other creatures in a popular brand of cheese sold throughout the country.