Zimbabwe's beverage manufacturer, Delta Corporation, is under intense scrutiny after a government laboratory reportedly confirmed that foreign particles found in a bottle of Coca-Cola were maggots, in a case now before the Harare Magistrates Court.
The case of one of Zimbabwe's most popular soft drinks, was heard before magistrate Lisa Mutendereki on Thursday, with Delta Beverages denying responsibility and blaming the proliferation of counterfeit products flooding the market.
The complainant described the foreign particles as worms during trial now underway.
The lawyer representing Delta said the soft drink was taken to a government lab where it was visually checked and concluded that the objects were maggots while another scientific test proved that the particles were starch.
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According to court papers, the complainant, a Harare resident Shepherd Mukonomera, bought a 300ml Coca-Cola from a street vendor at Number 62 Mbuya Nehanda in central Harare on October 19, 2023.
The State alleges that after drinking about three quarters of the beverage, Mukonomera suddenly noticed "unknown foreign objects" inside the bottle and immediately spat out the contents.
"The complainant purchased a 300ml Coca Cola soft drink... whilst drinking the soft drink after reaching about a quarter he then saw some unknown foreign objects," the State outline reads.
Authorities say the remaining contents were taken for forensic examination.
The accused in the matter are vendor Violet Musandukwa and Delta Beverages, represented in court by Chenai Chawafambira.
In her statement to investigators, Musandukwa said she was horrified when the customer confronted her.
"Upon checking the drink, I saw that there were white organisms at the bottom of the Coca-Cola bottle," she said.
She added that she immediately reported the matter to a shop manager and contacted a Coca-Cola representative.
But Delta Beverages has mounted a fierce defence, flatly denying that the contaminated drink originated from its production line.
In court papers, the company said: "There is nothing on record to prove that the alleged contaminated product was produced at the 2nd Accused's plant."
The beverages giant argued that even if the drink had originally come from its factory, it could have been tampered with after leaving company custody.
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"The market is flooded with counterfeit goods," Delta said in its defence.
The company further insisted that its internationally certified manufacturing systems make contamination virtually impossible.
"Collection, preparation and bottling of all Coca-Cola beverages occurs in a highly regulated, automated and sealed environment where it is physically impossible for foreign substances to enter the production line," the defence outline states.
Delta also questioned the scientific procedures used by investigators, arguing that the tests conducted were inconclusive.
"The State's reliance on a biological guinea pig test and visual inspection to prove that the beverage was contaminated or unwholesome yielded unconclusive results," the company argued.
It further claimed that "the exact nature of the substance in the beverage has not been identified, and it cannot be concluded that the substance was hazardous."
The company said Zimbabwe's secondary market exposes products to risks beyond manufacturers' control, raising the possibility of "handling, storage, or deliberate tampering by a third party."
Delta has even requested the court to conduct an inspection of its manufacturing plant as part of its defence.
Trial continues on May 18.
