A 10-year-old boy died and his mother fell into a coma after drinking a product made by US giant Coca-Cola, prompting Changchun city, capital of northeastern Jilin Province, to remove the product from sale.
Highly toxic pesticide was found in the remaining contents of a bottle of strawberry-flavored Minute Maid Pulpy Super Milky, local police said Wednesday.
A city official surnamed Li said the local industrial and commercial administration has removed the same product from the shelves of stores and supermarkets yesterday. Other Coca-Cola beverage products may also be withdrawn, he said.
Identified only by his surname Chu, the boy died after drinking a bottle of strawberry flavoured milk sold under the brand name "Guoli Naiyou" and made by the Coca-Cola subsidiary Minute Maid, the China News Service reported. His mother was fighting for her life.
A police investigation is ongoing and officers say it is too early to tell whether the contamination was caused by someone putting pesticide into the bottle or whether it had been introduced during the production process.
Meanwhile, the city's food safety authorities are warning local residents through TV broadcast and are asking people to bring the beverage they already bought to the city's industrial and commercial administration bureau immediately.
Coca-Cola Changchun Co Ltd sent a statement to Shanghai Daily, saying it "has tested samples of the same batch of Minute Maid Pulpy Super Milky but hasn't found anything unusual."
"All the products are safe and within standards."
Coca-Cola would continue to cooperate closely with the authorities investigating the matter, the statement said.
