Friday, March 19, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.
LONDON -- Coca-Cola Co. of Atlanta, the world's largest soft-drinks maker, is withdrawing Dasani bottled water from the United Kingdom less than two months after its debut because it doesn't meet the country's quality standards.
Dasani, marketed in Britain as "pure, still water," contains too much bromate, a derivative of bromide found in the calcium Coca-Cola is legally required to add, said John Chandler, a Coca-Cola spokesman in London.
Coca-Cola, which gets more than two-thirds of its revenue from outside the United States, is relying more on sales of water and juices to counter slower demand for soft drinks in North America. The recall's negative publicity may make it more difficult for Coca-Cola to compete against bottled water makers such as Nestle SA in other parts of Europe as well, Morgan Stanley analyst Bill Pecoriello wrote.
archive
