The coronavirus outbreak could disrupt the production of sugar-free fizzy drinks such as Diet Coke and Coke Zero.
The Daily Star reports that the artificial sweetener, Splenda, is needed to make sugar-free drinks, but this flavouring is imported from China.
Retailers could see a supply shortage of the sweetener if the virus continues to cause havoc in the East Asian country.
Currently, import of the sugar substitutes to the US has been delayed.
In its annual report, Coca-Cola said: “We have initiated contingency supply plans and do not foresee a short-term impact due to these delays.
“However, we may see tighter supplies of some of these ingredients in the longer term, should production or export operations in China deteriorate.”
Coca-Cola said Splenda is a "critical raw material" for their drinks, but the health and safety of their employees comes before drink production.
The drinks giant said: "The company has implemented precautionary measures to protect employees in China, which includes providing face masks and hand sanitisers, installing temperature screening in offices and manufacturing facilities; and setting up health monitoring mechanisms across the Coca-Cola system in China.”
Currently, the shortage will only impact the US. iIt is not yet known whether the UK's supply of the zero-sugar drinks will be affected.
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, surfaced in Wuhan, China, late last year.
So far, it has killed moreb than 2,700 people and infected 80,000. Mainland China has suffered the majority of cases.
In the UK, 11 schools have been closed after hundreds of teachers and pupils returned from ski trips in northern Italy's "red zone".
There are fears that Brit students, teachers and chaperones could have caught th virus in the country – where 12 people have died – and brought it back to the UK.
Yesterday (February 26), more than 300 workers were sent home from an office block in Canary Wharf, London, after an employee showed symptoms similar to coronavirus.
Coca-Cola has been approached for comment.
