TAIYUAN - Coca-Cola Shanxi Beverages Co Ltd admitted in a Saturday statement that some of its products were contaminated by chlorine in February during a routine maintenance procedure.

Water in production facilities with small amounts of chlorine flowed into water used for producing drinks during a pipe refitting project on Feb 3 due to errors in operation, the statement said.

The company apologized for the production of nine batches of contaminated products between Feb 4 and 8.

The Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision ordered the company to cease production for rectification on April 28. The bureau said that it has found other problems with the company's production lines.

In mid-April, an anonymous employee of the company told local media that nine batches of beverage products had been contaminated with chlorine during a routine maintenance procedure.

The report was disseminated online, leading some retailers to refuse to purchase products from the company.

The company will check products still in its possession and undertake any necessary measures, said Su Yan, a company official.