KUCHING, June 13: A viral hoax about a fruit drink has reared its head again.
WhatsApp users, it seems, have been forwarding to each other the hoax involving Evolution Fresh fruit drink.
According to its manufacturer, the drink is only distributed in the United States and Canada.
In late January 2017, the hoax began circulating via Facebook by claiming that Evolution Fresh’s cold-pressed juices and smoothies, commonly found at a popular coffee chain in the US, were poison.
“We found no evidence that Evolution Fresh drinks are poison nor that they are sold or produced in Nigeria,” according to the brand’s statement on its official website at the time the hoax was making the rounds.
The statement added that most of the produce used in their manufacturing were grown in California and some of it in Arizona. At the time, Evolution Fresh products did not appear in the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) database of food recalls.
A representative from Evolution Fresh also confirmed that the product had undergone no recent recalls, the company received no reports of people made sick by the juice, and the product is not sold or manufactured in Nigeria, where the hoax is believed to be originating from.
“Our Evolution Fresh cold-pressed, High-Pressure Processed juices and smoothies are currently sold in Starbucks locations only in the United States and Canada and in some US grocery stores. The distribution or sale of Evolution Fresh juices outside the United States and Canada is unauthorized.
“Any product sold outside the US and Canada is either counterfeit or has been purchased, shipped and resold. In addition, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of products labelled as Evolution Fresh juices that are sold in countries outside the US and Canada,” said the representative. — DayakDaily
