Lack of sugar halts Coke production

The Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola has halted production of the sugar-sweetened beverage due to a lack of sugar, a Coca-Cola Co spokeswoman said on Monday.

Venezuela is in the midst of a deep recession, and spontaneous demonstrations and looting have become more common amid worsening food shortages, frequent power cuts and the world's highest inflation.

Production of sugar-sweetened drinks has stopped, but output of diet drinks such as Coca-Cola Light and other zero-sugar beverages continued, spokeswoman Kerry Tressler wrote by e-mail.