Officials in Croatia advised on Wednesday that individuals should only consume tap water as they looked into cases of individuals becoming ill or experiencing throat problems after consuming bottled drinks.

The health authorities instructed for the removal of “suspected” items from stores and restaurants, but did not specify which items. However, images on social media from stores indicated that they were Coca-Cola products, and the company later announced a temporary withdrawal of some of its products.

Coca-Cola in Croatia has stated its willingness to collaborate with authorities, and its internal inquiry has not revealed any abnormalities with its merchandise.

The Health Minister, Vili Beros, reported that a number of individuals have sought medical assistance for “injuries caused by potential chemical substances” since the beginning of the previous weekend. However, most of these cases have only resulted in minor symptoms.

A patient’s esophagus suffered chemical damage, according to a hospital’s report.

Beros stated that there is no cause for alarm, but caution should be exercised. He mentioned that two individuals became ill from consuming specific beverages, while the remaining cases are still being investigated.

Authorities are currently conducting an investigation, with both the police and state prosecutor’s office involved. Beros advised that, in the meantime, it would be best to consume water from the public water supply as it is believed to be safe.

Police in the city of Split, located on the Adriatic Sea coastline, reported a new case on Wednesday. According to a statement from Split police, a man experienced throat issues after consuming a non-alcoholic drink and received medical assistance. A similar incident was also reported in the city last month.

Coca-Cola in Croatia announced that it would be removing its products from the market, despite stating that its internal analysis did not reveal any abnormalities during production or with the products themselves. The company conducted an internal investigation and found no discrepancies in their production, but will still be sending samples for further analysis.

Over the weekend, there were reports of suspected poisonings when a man was admitted to the hospital in the port city of Rijeka in northern Adriatic. It was said that he had consumed carbonated bottled water at a cafe. On Tuesday, a college student was injured after allegedly consuming Coca-Cola.

Both incidents were linked to drinks of the Coca-Cola company. The man in Rijeka had reportedly consumed Romerquelle Emotion Blueberry Pomegranate from a glass bottle, while the student in Zagreb was said to have drunk Coca-Cola from a plastic bottle he took from a machine at his faculty. Another similar case had been previously reported in May.

On Tuesday, a man received treatment for damage to his esophagus caused by chemicals at a hospital in Rijeka.

Krunoslav Capak, the director of Croatia’s Public Health Institute, stated that the substances in question may be corrosive and further investigation is necessary to determine if there are any additional components present in the beverage.