Around 12,000 bottles of the popular soft drink known as Goli Soda have been seized by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) over concerns that small marbles in their caps could pose a choking hazard to children and adults.
Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar said Public Health Inspectors carried out inspections and seized the bottles due to unsafe packaging.
According to the Mayor, incidents have been reported in which small marbles from such bottles became lodged in the throats of children and adults, causing choking.
She said legal action was taken over violations of food safety regulations, resulting in three court cases involving 109 charges.
The courts imposed fines totalling Rs. 351,000 and ordered the destruction of the seized stocks.
Balthazaar thanked the CMC Health Department and Public Health Inspectors for their efforts to protect public safety.
She stressed that the success of such operations should not be measured solely by the number of bottles seized or fines imposed, but by the accidents they could prevent.
The Mayor added that preventing dangerous incidents before they occur is just as important as responding to them afterwards. (Newswire)