US CONVICTS CHINESE-BORN SCIENTIST OF STEALING TRADE SECRETS FROM COCA-COLA

Fri 23 April 2021:

A US court convicted a chemist of stealing and transmitting to China formulas for�non-toxic bisphenol-A-free (BPA-free) coatings for the inside of beverage cans while working for Coca-Cola, the Justice Department said on Thursday.

“Following a twelve-day trial, Dr. Xiaorong You, aka Shannon You, 59, of Lansing, Michigan, was convicted of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, possession of stolen trade secrets, economic espionage, and wire fraud,” Justice said in a press release.

You had access to the proprietary trade secrets while working at The Coca-Cola Company and the Eastman Chemical Company – formulas developed by more than a half dozen US companies at a cost of more than $120 million, the release said.

You stole the formulas to set up a new BPA-free coating company in China. You and her Chinese corporate partner, Weihai Jinhong Group, received millions of Dollars in Chinese government grants to support the new company, according to documents disclosed at the trial, the release added.

Until recently, BPA was used to coat the inside of cans and other food and beverage containers to help minimize flavor loss and prevent corrosion, the release said.

Scientists have linked BPA exposure to multiple cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery heart disease, and heart attacks, according to media reports.