PepsiCo stopped making Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew soft drinks in Russia nearly six months after the US company said it would suspend sales and production in the country due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Pepsi announcement came after Reuters visited dozens of supermarkets, retailers and gyms in Moscow and other cities and found Pepsi cans and bottles printed with July and August production dates from factories in Russia.
The most recent date for a company product was August 17th.
In a statement to Reuters, the US company said it had stopped making concentrates for PepsiCola, Mirinda, 7Up and Mountain Dew in Russia.
“All concentrates were subsequently sold out in Russia and production ended,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said Sept. , sales, promotional activities and advertising in Russia.
The spokesperson said the move was “in line with the announcement we made in March 2022” but did not comment when asked for an update on sales and whether they have been halted.
The West has not sanctioned food and drink as part of sweeping measures aimed at punishing Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
But the continued availability of the products highlights the complexity of withdrawing from one of the largest countries in the world. In 2021, Russia was Pepsi’s third-largest market, after the United States and Mexico.
Rival Coca-Cola’s production in Russia also continued after the company said in March it would suspend operations.
PepsiCo said in March that it would continue to sell daily essentials such as milk and other dairy products, infant formula and baby food in Russia.
The company has been operating in Russia for over 60 years and its glues were one of the few Western products allowed in the Soviet Union before its collapse.
Source: CNN Brasil
Joe Jameson, a technology journalist with over 2 years of experience, writes for top online news websites. Specializing in the field of technology, Joe provides insights into the latest advancements in the industry. Currently, he contributes to covering the world stock market.
