Coca-Cola Amatil Fiji is to remove all of its full-sugar carbonated beverages from Fijian primary schools in 2010.

The move has been welcomed by the Consumer Council and was praised as a display of social responsibility, the Fiji Times reports.

Speaking to the newspaper, the council’s chief executive Premila Kumar said: “Such bold decisions are indications that many companies like Coca-Cola are beginning to realise that they must act in accordance with the norms of right and wrong.”

She went on to explain that Coca-Cola Amatil Fiji had also removed a “dangerous” TV advertisement which showed a child throwing fireworks into a house.

Ms Kumar said that the council will be monitoring schools of children under the age of 12 next year to observe whether other soft drinks companies follow suit.

Coca-Cola was first introduced to Fiji in 1944 and local production began in 1972. Coca-Cola Amatil employs around 300 people and is the only licensee of Coca-Cola and Schweppes in Fiji.

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