By IANS
Kathmandu : Protests by outraged Nepalis have forced soft drink giant Coke to apologise for an offensive pouch for its new product and remove the source of outrage.
In March, Coca-Cola Enterprises began an ad and marketing campaign to re-launch Capri-Sun, a "natural and fun drink for kids" available in two flavours, orange and blackcurrant.
The orange juice pouch triggered an outrage among Nepalis.
The pouch sported a half-eaten orange and a "fun" question, that says, "Did you know… in Nepal, they eat oranges without peeling them?"
Capri-Sun, a registered trade mark of Heidelberg-based German Wild, began to be bombarded with outraged protests by Nepalis, who say it is a gross insult, likening them to "goats and other animals".
The protests have finally forced the company to remove the offending question.
"We would like to offer our sincere apologies for any offence caused by the quote that makes reference to Nepal on the back of the Capri-Sun orange juice drink pouch," the company said in a statement.
"We recognise that this has caused some distress and would like to assure you that we have taken immediate steps to replace the quote in these packs. It was our understanding that people in Nepal cut oranges into squares to eat them rather than peeling them.
"However, the insinuation made by the quote about how people in Nepal may eat oranges is incorrect and it was an error of judgement to include it in our packaging."
The company however did not say what the source of the "quote" was.
"(It) was taken from a recognised and trusted source on the subject of oranges," the statement said. "(It) was designed to be a light-hearted fact."
However, Nepalis are not amused; neither are they fully placated by the apology.
"This shows that if we protest misdeeds collectively, definitely that will compel the offender to regret," Chandra Khaki, one of the protesters, said.
"I hope that no one in the world tries to dominate or insult Nepalis," said a supporter, identifying himself simply as Gyan.
"Apologising is not enough," said a third, calling himself Everest KC from Korea.
"Coke has to pay penalty.
"It should think twice before publishing any ad."