Red Bull pulled in Germany after cocaine test

updated 2:39 p.m. ET May 25, 2009

BERLIN - Six German states have told retailers to stop selling Red Bull Cola energy drinks after a test found a trace amount of cocaine.

The bans started Friday after a sample test conducted by authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia state found 0.4 micrograms per liter in the drink.

Five other states also banned it from shops amid concerns over possible narcotics law violations.

Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said Monday that the cocaine level was too low to pose a health risk. It planned to produce a more detailed report Wednesday.

Red Bull said its cola is "harmless and marketable in both the U.S. and Europe." It said similar coca leaf extracts are used worldwide as flavoring, and a test it commissioned itself found no cocaine traces.

More from msnbc.com Easing job losses point to wobbly recovery Cars are approaching ‘auto’ pilot mode Were you paying attention? Take our news quiz  Facebook’s fantasy games cost more than time How readers got pieces of Berlin Wall | Gallery  Not supposed to worry about troops at home On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM EUROPE

Europe Section Front

Germany celebrates Berlin Wall memories Queen leads Britain's ceremony for war dead   Clinton: Berlin Wall festivities not just a party Wig-wearing mob fugitive nabbed in Italy Fair targets France’s 260,000 annual divorces Inside a shuttered Cold War bunker UK lawmakers call for new rendition flight ban How NBC got its ’89 Berlin Wall scoop Wall long gone, but still grappling with the change Europe Section Front   Add Europe headlines to your news reader: