Venezuela bans Coke Zero

Sure, the Coke Zero can above may look like it's sitting peacefully on a desk. If you're the Venezuelan government, though, this aluminum shell hides a grave health risk:

Citing health concerns, Venezuela banned the sale of Coke Zero, a diet soft drink from Coca-Cola Co., which was introduced in April in this country with an aggressive advertising campaign[...]

The subsidiary said in a press release that the drink "doesn't have any components that can be harmful to people's health" while agreeing to suspend production of the soft drink and to withdraw the beverages from its retail network.

Jesus Mantilla, Venezuela's health minister, said Wednesday evening that after government officials inspected Coca-Cola's operations they concluded that Coke Zero could pose health risks to consumers.

"The product should be withdrawn from circulation to protect the health of Venezuelans," Mantilla said without giving more details[...]

The measure against Coca-Cola is only the latest episode in a long list of troubles assailing the company in Venezuela. A group of former workers, backed by legislators aligned with President Hugo Chávez, caused intermittent stoppages in bottling and distribution plants last year, hampering the company's operations.

This can only get better if the charge changes to taste infringement. Or if Chávez turns out to prefer TaB. 

FP File Photo