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Sprite market share dragged down by poisoning scandal

By Hu Yang (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-02-09 17:04
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Sprite's share in China's carbonated beverage market has been dragged down from 13.3 percent to 9.8 percent since Feb 1 by the mercury poisoning scandal, National Business Daily reported, citing data monitored by an industry research center.

China Investment Consulting, an industry research institution, cooperated with supermarkets in China's first-tier cities monitoring Sprite sales from Feb 1 to 7 for the data. But the Beijing Coca Cola company, owner of Sprite, did not confirm the data.

Related readings:
Sprite market share dragged down by poisoning scandal Poisoning probe focuses on Sprite container
Sprite market share dragged down by poisoning scandal Coca-cola compensates $0.30 for bug in Sprite
Sprite market share dragged down by poisoning scandal Sabotage suspected in Sprite poisonings
Sprite market share dragged down by poisoning scandal Man claims Sprite poisons

Two cases of mercury poisoning have been reported after consumers drank canned Sprite in Beijing, one in November 2009 and the other in January this year.

Police sent the container in the first case to a laboratory on Feb 4 and the result is expected by Feb 12, the report said.

The scandal's long-term influence on Sprite sales depends on the test result, experts predicted, adding that the market share will rebound if the manufacturer is proven innocent of the contamination.

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