Venezuela Bans Coke Zero

Government Cites Harmful Health Effects, But Critics See Another Jab At U.S.

(CBS/AP)  The government of Venezuela has banned the sale of Coca-Cola's no-calorie Coke Zero in the country and called on retailers to pull the product from their shelves.

The country's health minister cited unspecified health concerns said the ban is aimed at "preserving the health of Venezuelans," but did not specify the government's health concerns.

The Atlanta-based company, the world's largest soft drink maker, also said Thursday that it is temporarily halting production of the brand. It had been in Venezuela for two months.

Spokeswoman Kerry Kerr said Venezuela has not raised specific concerns about the formula or the company's local operations. She said the company is in discussions with the government and the brand is safe.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been a frequent critic of the United States and some observers see the ban as a jab at a major U.S. company, according to reports by the BBC, the Guardian, and Reuters.

Venezuela has previously "seized a rice mill and pasta factory belonging to U.S. food giant Cargill and has threatened action against pharmaceutical company Pfizer," the BBC reports.

The ban apparently does not affect Coca-Cola's other products.

[micheleisfree]

Good for Venezuela!
The Venezuelan peoples will not being paying a company to make them fat, rot their teeth, and strip their bones of calcium. All sodas, diet or no, will do those things to you.
Don't pay companies to kill you, people.

I wish Americans were that smart.

[httpwwwnews]

It's made with aspartame. Wish that substance would be banned here too.

[mnbrant]

I guess he is a kind of dictator so he can do that. My definition of a dictator is one who dictates. Warning to companies doing business in Russia who don't want to pay their employees for months forcing them to eat grass. Putin will just sit you down and dictate you to write a check. There want be any judges for you to corrupt. People of the world, if your not being paid it pays to resist. Facts are it works 66% in your favor and only 7% of the time makes it worse. At any rate something is likely to happen.

[cajundweeb]

Well, what's next, Pepsi Max?

[earth562]

Hugo= Meglomaniac

[gravyboat3000]

Duh, duh, dud duh duh duh.

[CLoverNYC1]

Venezuela.. the land of cocaine has banned coke. That's rich.

I'd like to see Chavez nationalize Pepsico like he did Cargill.

[Dgunner]

What will coca-cola do with all the coke zero now that the only country left that was consuming coke zerohas now banned the product? I doubt the impact will hurt coca-cola . There is more profit in a can of cola than p---y and doughnuts.

[parisdakar]

Good for them. Who drinks that crap anyway?

[aka_KJB]

LOL. More likely than not, they just banned Coke Zero because it tastes like $hite. Seriously, that stuff is just plain bad. I wonder if they still sell the Red Bull cola that has trace amounts of cocaine?

Jokes aside, this is just their resident whack-job-in-chief finding and excuse to mess with one of the largest multi-national corporations to get his favorite thing, press. He's addicted to media, he loves the attention just like that little twerp in North Korea and Rush Limbaugh (who thinks he's running a country somewhere but I'm not sure where).