According to a recent article published by Fox News, Germany may ban the popular Red Bull beverages after trace amounts of cocaine were found.
The article states:
A food safety institute in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia found the drug during a test on Red Bull Cola samples.
“The institute examined Red Bull Cola in an elaborate chemical process and found traces of cocaine,” Bernhard Kuehnle, head of the food safety department at the federal ministry for consumer protection, told the Daily Mail.
Extracts from coca leaves are popularly used as natural flavoring for many foods and beverages (like soda) around the world. That being said, a Red Bull representative is arguing the case that their beverage contains de-cocainized extract from the coca leaf. Nonetheless, despite the fact that there were only trace amounts of cocaine found in the beverage (which is not enough to pose a significant health threat), it WAS enough to cause concern among health officials because it is still illegal. Further, this contamination would force the popular drink to switch from being classified as a food/beverage item to being a narcotic…which is surely not the image that Red Bull wants to project.
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