After product recall

14 million liters of Coke have to go: What happens to them?

28 million bottles have to be disposed of - a logistical disaster, they say.

(Bild: Coca-Cola HBC Österreich)

Coca-Cola has to recall 28 million bottles. It is unclear where they will be destroyed. "Not in the canal!", they say. The recall alone is a logistical Herculean task. 

The numbers are unbelievable. Coca-Cola has to withdraw 28 million 0.5-liter bottles from sale due to a damaged sieve. The batches in question could contain tiny pieces of metal. So far, however, there have been no known cases of anyone actually being injured as a result. We have found out for you here who is actually liable for your damages in the event of a recall.

Logistical Herculean task
However, people's health comes first, which is why Austria is facing a Herculean logistical task: the quantities produced in two months are scattered all over the country and can be found in shops and restaurants - not to mention the many vending machines. A few pallets were also found in the warehouse at the Krone high-rise in Vienna.

The contaminated drinks were also made available for collection at the Krone headquarters in Vienna.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Many are already talking about the biggest recall in Austria's history. But to put the enormous dimensions into perspective: 28 million bottles means 14 million liters of Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta or MezzoMix. That's enough to fill the main pool of Vienna's Stadthallenbad about three times over. If you have a six by three meter long and wide pool of standard depth in your garden, you could fill it around 480 times with Coca-Cola. We prefer not to convert this into bathtubs.

Fill the indoor pool three times, drink for seven days

Unfortunately, three refills does not mean refills in the bar. With 14 million liters of lemonade, you could fill the pools in Vienna's Stadthallenbad almost three times.

With the usual soft drink consumption, Austrians would need seven days to drink this amount. If the lemonade were to be "destroyed" in one day, everyone would have to empty 1.5 liters in one go.

You can't pour it down the drain
Many people are now asking themselves: what to do with all the soda? What would otherwise trickle down our throats can't possibly end up in pools or the sewer system. So what happens next? Alexander Hengl from the Vienna Market Office responsible: "At the moment, our main focus is on collecting the goods. We assume that we will be able to secure the majority of the bottles in the next two to three weeks."

What will then happen to them is still being discussed in close cooperation with Coca-Cola. Hengl: "We don't know yet. We are currently discussing an examination with metal detectors, laboratory findings, filtering including re-filling or even destruction." One thing is certain: this amount cannot end up in the sewer. The "Krone" also asked some local waste disposal experts. The bottom line on Thursday evening: in view of the quantity, we are facing a logistical super-GAU.

"Ingested parts normally pass through the gastrointestinal tract"

On the occasion of the recall, we asked Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, Chief Physician of the Austrian Red Cross, what happens in the body when metal parts are swallowed. He has a reassuring answer for all worried cola drinkers: "Non-digestible foreign bodies, such as a mistakenly swallowed glass bead, a mistakenly swallowed whole hazelnut, or even deliberately swallowed metallic parts such as a safety pin, normally pass through the gastrointestinal tract without damaging it. Without knowing the details of the metal particles mentioned in the report, I assume that the same applies to them." So a cautious all-clear.

Recall campaign causes logistical feat for domestic retailers

• Billa: "The affected containers are being prepared in the storerooms for transportation to the central warehouse. Complete traceability is guaranteed at all times thanks to the batch number. However, we need to act quickly. In the interests of consumer protection, we are forced to return all affected containers."

• Hofer: "The safety of our customers is our top priority. Sales of the affected product were stopped immediately and customers were informed about the product recall in our stores and on our website. The product can be returned in all stores. Customers will of course be refunded the purchase price, even without proof of purchase."

• Spar: "We don't yet know exactly how many bottles are affected. It's more or less all the Coca-Cola bottles that we currently have in our stores and warehouses. This makes it one of the biggest recalls we have ever had to deal with. Everything is currently running smoothly and the goods have been withdrawn from circulation."

• Lidl: "We reacted immediately to the recall and removed the products from sale. Our customers can return the items in all stores and the purchase price will be refunded even without presenting the receipt. The products affected are Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Fanta Orange with a best-before date between February 4 and April 12, 2025."