Coke withdraws its bottled water from sale in Britain

<p>The Coca-Cola Co. said Friday it is withdrawing its Dasani bottled water from sale in Britain after finding that samples contained higher than permitted levels of the chemical bromate.</p><p>A Coca-Cola spokesman said the voluntary withdrawal was a precautionary measure.</p><p>"We haven't yet confirmed when and how we'll be back in the market," spokesman Jonathan Chandler said. "We'll make a communication on the next steps when we're ready to make them."</p><p>The Food Standards Agency said there was no immediate risk to public health, and described Coca-Cola's decision to stop selling Dasani in Britain as "sensible." It said bromate can cause an increased cancer risk as a result of long-term exposure.</p><p>Coca-Cola, which launched Dasani in Britain last month, said the higher than permitted levels of bromate occurred as a result of a process aimed at adding calcium to its bottled water.</p><p>"We do understand the problem and have a solution for it," Chandler said.</p><p>The withdrawal began Friday and was expected to be 80-85 percent complete within 24 hours, Coca-Cola said.</p><p>Dasani suffered a rash of bad publicity earlier this month when British newspapers discovered that the product was purified tap water _ something Coke had always acknowledged. Following the newspaper stories, the Food Standards Agency said it was inquiring whether Coke was entitled to use the term "pure" in describing Dasani.</p><p>Shares of Coca-Cola fell 3 cents to $49.01 Friday morning on the New York Stock Exchange.</p>

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