29 May 2009 - The Food and Drug Administration of Jordan has banned the import of Red Bull Cola and ordered the company's local distributor to recall the product from the market.
The decision was made following findings in Germany that the drink contains a trace amount of cocaine, the food safety body's Director General Mohammad Rawashdeh said.
"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," Rawashdeh was quoted a s saying.
Six German states were reported to have notified retailers to stop selling Red Bull Cola energy drinks after a test found a trace amount of cocaine in the product
Sample analysis conducted in North-Rhine Westphalia found 1 litre of the drink contained 0.4 mg of the banned substance.
German officials, however, stressed that the levels are too low to endanger human health, but are not permitted in food.
Red Bull has since protested against these claims, insisting the extract of coca leaf is used worldwide in foods as a natural flavouring. The company said its cola is "harmless and marketable in both the US and Europe."
The company, nonetheless, said that it was taking the German authority’s concerns seriously and has had its product analysed by an independent accredited institute which has confirmed that alkaloids (cocaine) from the coca leaf are not detectable - even though only de-cocainized coca leaf extracts are used in Red Bull Simply Cola.
"Red Bull Cola is not an energy drink but a cola of a different kind, strong and natural, and the only cola which contains 16 natural flavor ingredients including both the original kola nut and coca leaf. In fact, Red Bull Cola’s ingredients contain no preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup, no phosphoric acid and no artificial sweeteners. There’s no secret formula, just simple, natural ingredients combined for a refreshing taste", stated the company.