The logo of Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index listed company Coca-Cola (KO) is seen in Los Angeles, California, United States, April 4, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Thomson ReutersDow Jones Industrial Average listed company Coca-Cola (KO)'s logo is seen in Los Angeles
(Reuters) - The Venezuelan bottler of Coca-Cola has halted production of 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 email. The local bottler, Coca-Cola Femsa SAB , said it would issue a statement later on Monday.
"Sugar suppliers in Venezuela have informed us that they will temporarily cease operations due to a lack of raw materials," Tressler added.
(Reporting by Peter Henderson in San Francisco; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2016. Follow Reuters on Twitter.