Red Bull produced in mainland 'safe'

By Chen Jia in Beijing, Cao li in Shanghai and Qiu Quanlin in Guangzhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-02 07:50

Days after traces of cocaine were detected in a widely popular energy drink, its Beijing-based producer Monday assured the product was "safe for consumption" on the Chinese mainland.

Zhang Lei, the spokesman of Red Bull Company's Beijing branch, told China Daily: "Our products, which are made on the Chinese mainland, do not contain cocaine and other ingredients banned under the Chinese food safety regulations."

He said the Red Bull energy drink, which is produced in the mainland, has an "independent formula completely different from the one used overseas".

"And we don't sell any imported Red Bull products on the mainland," said Zhang.

Last week, the Taiwanese local authorities confiscated nearly 18,000 cases of Red Bull imported from Austria after slight traces of cocaine were detected in the drink.

The cases, worth around NT$25 million ($772,500), were removed from the local importer's warehouses, Taiwan media reported on Saturday.

The shipment had arrived on the island from Austria in April.

Authorities in Taiwan ordered the drinks removed from the market pending an investigation.

Six German states also banned retailers from selling Red Bull Cola on Friday after a test found traces of cocaine in the drink.

However, Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said the level of cocaine was "too low to pose a health risk", AP reported.

Red Bull spokesman Zhang said: "Immediately after hearing the news, we contacted our colleagues in Austria, who rechecked the cases produced with the batch shipped to Taiwan but found no hints of cocaine."

He also said their Beijing office would apply for a clean check from the Ministry of Health to protect the product's market reputation.

Shops and supermarkets on the Chinese mainland continue to sell the energy drink.

Sun Ye, a communications officer at the Shanghai-based Lotus Super market, said the volume of sale of Red Bull had "not been affected" yet.

"We will continue to have Red Bull on our shelves until we get an order from the authorities to remove them," she said.

Chen Bo of Carrefour in Shanghai, also said they were waiting for word from the authorities.

"As of now, we haven't received any official report or notice about Red Bull products," said Huang Yushuang, a salesman at C-Store in Tianhe district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Red Bull set up the China Red Bull Vitamin Drink Co Ltd in Shenzhen, Guangdong, in 1995, and three years later moved the manufacturing unit to Beijing.