Child safety fears spark soft-drink recall
Wednesday May 20 2009
A SOFT drinks company has withdrawn products from sale in Ireland after complaints that young children could chew off and swallow the caps.
AG Barr Plc withdrew the Simply Fruity and Simply Aqua drinks, pictured left, in Ireland and Britain after three complaints were received in the UK in which young children had chewed off the caps. No similar incidents have been reported in Ireland.
The National Consumer Agency states on its website that the contents of the bottles are safe to drink. However, it recommends that parents pour the contents into a cup or beaker, or remove the cap if they wish to give the drink to children in the bottle.
Dunnes Stores, which is the only retailer selling the product in Ireland, has removed the product from sales.
The affected items include Simply Fruity 330ml bottles, a fruit-flavoured soft drink, sold individually or in a 12-pack, with best before dates of November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010.
Also on the recall list is Simply Aqua flavoured water, in 330ml bottles, and sold individually or in a 12-pack, with a best before date of December 2009.
These drinks are all marketed specifically for children, with bottles shaped to be easily gripped by small hands. They all have a push-pull sports cap.
Consumers are asked to contact the Food Safety Authority on 1890 33 66 77 should they require further information.
- Aideen Sheehan
