Proposition 65 Lawsuit Claims Against The Coca-Cola Company Are Irresponsible and Greedy

ATLANTA, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Coca-Cola Company said it would vigorously defend itself against outlandish allegations made in a Proposition 65 lawsuit filed today in California.

"All Coca-Cola beverages, including those made in Mexico, are safe and comply with all laws," said Ray Steed, Vice President of Quality and Technical Services, The Coca-Cola Company. "That includes the laws of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of California and Proposition 65, as well as all Mexican laws and regulations." The Company said that it has already undertaken, and in many instances completed, the actions the plaintiffs say they want, at a considerable cost to the Coca-Cola system. It added that plaintiffs know full well that these actions have been taken already, which makes this lawsuit all the more egregious.

The Coca-Cola Company has made every effort to reach a settlement and continues to do so, so that it and the public could avoid the expense of needless litigation. In fact, the Company offered significantly more than what the same plaintiffs agreed to as part of their settlement with Pepsi announced on April 21, 2006. The Company said that the rejection of these offers has everything to do with political ambition and with the greed of a bounty-hunting attorney who lives thousands of miles away from California, adding that it is shameful that any public official can find common cause with someone whose focus is on personal gain, not public health. The Company said it will defend itself strongly and successfully and believes that this process will substantiate confidence in its products and assure consumers that all its products are safe.

All bottles being manufactured today for Coca-Cola from Mexico are 100% lead-free. Moreover, every bottle of authorized Coca-Cola from Mexico sold in California is 100% lead-free. The subject of this lawsuit is no longer being manufactured. It is a refillable glass bottle for Mexico Coke that was never authorized for sale in California and it is being phased out in Mexico on a much more rapid schedule than Pepsi's bottle. Already, about 20% of bottles being refilled by Coca-Cola in Mexico are lead-free and that number is constantly growing.

This lawsuit does nothing to promote public health. "Claims like this needlessly divert from real health issues in our community," said Dr. Jane Delgado, President and CEO, National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "We have to focus on our major health issues, and this is not one of them."

"The lead content in these products is miniscule. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency says you could drink ten times as much lead in drinking water and be safe," added Dr. F Jay Murray, a toxicologist and a founding member of the Proposition 65 Science Advisory Board. "Many consumers in Los Angeles and around the state actually drink tap water with higher levels of lead than are in these beverages."