It's not the new calamari flavor: Vita Coco® coconut water always safe to drink

NEW YORK, May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delicious, refreshing, safe and most definitely "squid free." That's how Vita Coco coconut water describes its beverages after a New York consumer claimed she found a squid-like substance in her drink.

"It is highly unlikely what this consumer claims she found in her Vita Coco poses any health risk," says Arthur Gallego, Vita Coco's global director of corporate communications. "Vita Coco is a preservative-free beverage made from naturally-occurring ingredients. While the consumer has yet to return the product for testing, this looks like typical food spoilage. This consumer's product was likely left opened, improperly refrigerated or damaged, and after reviewing the images she has posted, we are confident it is mold growth."

Vita Coco says the lot number associated with the consumer's complaint is 100% safe: tested by Vita Coco internal quality control and an external third party quality testing agency prior to being shipped to stores. Gallego continues, "we produced over 135,000 units in this production lot and this was the single complaint, and one we cannot investigate because of the consumer's lack of cooperation."

Vita Coco has the leading quality control system in the coconut water beverage category. The coconut water brand produces its preservative-free beverages in multiple factories in Brazil and Southeast Asia. All Vita Coco production facilities use state-of-the-art technology and food safety protocols, including demanding food safety programs such as: HACCP, GMP and GFSI certification. The Vita Coco brand's stringent specifications allow only products that are 100% certified safe to enter the market and product is quality tested by internal and as well as periodic third party quality control testing agencies.

About Vita Coco^®
Vita Coco is a leading coconut water beverage brand sold in 31 countries around the world. The company is headquartered in New York City. Visit www.vitacoco.com for more information.

Media inquiries:
Arthur Gallego
[email protected]

Caitlin Kormann
[email protected]

SOURCE Vita Coco