Coca-Cola cuts output in Venezuela due to sugar shortage

Spokeswoman Kerry Tressler said the US company's sugar suppliers "have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials."

That will impact the production of sugar-sweetened beverages like its mainstay Coca-Cola, Hit, Frescolita and Chinotto. But Tressler said the company would continue to produce its zero-sugar drinks like Coca-Cola Light and bottled water.

"We are engaging with suppliers, government authorities and our associates to take the necessary actions for a prompt solution," she said in a statement.

Venezuela's economy has been dragged down by shortages of many key products, both food and non-food, as the embattled government of President Nicolas Maduro reserves foreign currency to service its debt and struggles with recession and hyperinflation.

A number of foreign firms have been forced to halt or slow production due to shortages and the general economic turmoil, including Kraft Heinz, Clorox, and beer maker Empresas Polar.

Source: AFP