SOFT DRINKS

Venezuelan Regulators Investigating Coca-Cola Contract: PepsiCo Inc. has asked the country’s antitrust agency, the Superintendency for the Promotion and Protection of Free Competition, to annul the contract between Coca-Cola Co. and Cisneros Group. The bottler is owned by Venezuelan businessman Oswaldo Cisneros and was for five decades Pepsi’s exclusive bottler in that country. Last week, the bottler abrogated its contract with Pepsi to sign with Coke. Pepsi argues that the arrangement means Coke has control of nearly 98% of Venezuela’s soft drink market and denies Pepsi of virtually all production and distribution facilities. A final ruling is expected within two months.