Foul smelling Pepsi Zero Sugar bottles under investigation

Pepsi Zero Sugar [LOTTE CHILSUNG]

Foul smelling Pepsi Zero Sugar bottles are being investigated following a series of complaints circulating on social media that the drink is giving off a foul smell.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and industry insiders Thursday, the Gyeonggi local government recently received a formal complaint about the drink manufactured by Lotte Chilsung and is conducting its own investigation. It is also conducting a comparative investigation by collecting sample products from other regions.

Consumers of the Pepsi Zero Sugar drink have recently taken to social media to complain about a foul smell coming from the mouth of the drink's plastic bottles.

“The smell was so bad that I thought there must be something wrong with my nose,” read one post online.

“I didn’t smell anything when I was drinking the beverage from a can, but when I bought the bottled version, I can’t ignore it,” another read. “The smell doesn’t come from the drink itself but from the mouth of the bottle.”

Regarding the complaints, Lotte Chilsung explained that “There is a strange odor coming from the plastic bottles of the Pepsi Zero Sugar 500 milliliter [17 ounce] product, but there is no abnormality with the taste or quality of the beverage content itself.”

“The product has recently begun distribution in high-temperature and high-humidity environments,” said an official from Lotte Chilsung. “This could be the cause behind the smell.”

Lotte Chilsung is currently refunding Pepsi Zero Sugar customers per request.

Pepsi Zero Sugar, first released in Korea in January last year, has sold more than 310 million cans as of June this year. according to Lotte Chilsung.

BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]