Austrian health ministry spokesperson Sigrid Rosenberger said the traces are very slight and do not pose a health risk.
In mid-May, a study released by the German state of North Rhine Westfalia discovered traces of cocaine – Germany found 0.4 micrograms per litre – in the drink. It was not enough to prove harmful but the drink was qualified as a narcotic under German law.
Germany is considering a nationwide ban on Red Bull Cola. Meanwhile, retailers in six German states have now stopped selling the drink.
Rosenberger said on 29 May that the Austrian findings hovered around the detection limit. Red Bull has said its cola is “harmless and marketable in both the US and Europe”.
Meanwhile, the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has banned the import of Red Bull Cola and has ordered its local agent to withdraw the product from the market.
JFDA director general, Mohammad Rawashdeh, told The Jordan Times on 29 May: “The decision was made following findings in Germany that the drink contains a trace amount of cocaine. Whenever we receive reports from any country regarding the withdrawal of a product from the market and we have it in Jordan, we do the same until we conduct the required tests.”
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