Chavez cans the sale of Coke Zero in Venezuela

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The Venezuelan president, a friend and hero of former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, has ordered The Coca-Cola Company to withdraw its Coke Zero brand, launched in the country only two months ago.

Chavez's health minister Jesus Mantilla ordered Coke Zero to be removed from store shelves saying: "The product should be withdrawn from circulation to preserve the health of Venezuelans."

Mantilla has ordered an investigation into the ingredients of Coke Zero — a challenge to Coca-Cola, which has legendarily kept its recipes secret.

But Coca-Cola said: "Coke Zero is made under the highest quality standards and meets the sanitary requirements demanded by the laws of Venezuela."

The move against Coca-Cola comes amid a wave of recent industrial interventions by the leader of oil-rich Venezuela.

In recent weeks Chavez has had the owner of one of the country's main television stations — and an arch-critic of the regime — indicted over a business deal; has seized rice and pasta factories owned by US foods group Cargill; has threatened action againt the Pfizer drugs giant; and nationalised American-owned oil services companies.