Himalayan News Service

Johannesburg, July 24:

The Coca-Cola company has placed full-page advertisements in South African newspapers to reassure Muslim consumers and avoid a backlash after a doctor found traces of alcohol in the drink. Doctor Haroun Dindar had laboratory tests conducted on a sample from a bottle of the drink after his daughter complained at a family barbecue that it did not taste normal. Dindar said the analysis found the Coca-Cola sample to contain one gram of alcohol per 100 ml of the liquid. An irate Dinadar informed the Coca-Cola company, which, through the advertisement, apologised to the doctor for ‘the unfortunate isolated incident’. The company reaffirmed that in the manufacture of its products, including Coca-Cola, no alcohol is added and no fermentation takes place. “In this particular case, independent laboratory tests have confirmed that the alcohol in the doctor’s Coca-Cola was caused through a natural process, involving fermentation of the sugar content that

was due to a specific and unique set of environmental conditions. This is a rare occurrence and no other incidents have been reported,” the advertisement read. “The Coca-Cola enjoyed in South Africa is no different to the Coke enjoyed in many markets where Islam is the main religion, such as Egypt, Malaysia, Palestine and Saudi Arabia. The same ingredients are used. As in all these markets, Coca-Cola in South Africa maintains positive relations with the Muslim

community through dialogue.” Coca-Cola has invited senior Muslim leaders to inspect bottling plants across the country for themselves. The National Independent Halaal Trust, a body that certifies products as ‘Halaal’ (lawful for consumption under Islamic principles) has indicated that it will conduct further tests to verify the status of Coca-Cola as a non-alcoholic beverage.

While this process continues, some staunch Muslims here are eschewing Coca-Cola until it is pronounced Halaal, while others have written off the controversy as a ‘non-event’. “We believe that while there is any doubt about any product, it is safer to rather not eat or drink it,” Ebrahim Moosa said after Friday prayers here as the congregation veered around to discussing the issue. But his cousins Abdul Wahab Hoosen and Javed Carrim were less skeptical. “It’s a big storm in a teacup over nothing,” said Carrim, “In any event, there are so many products, even bread, which contain small traces off alcohol. As long as we don’t get intoxicated by it, there should not be any problem.”