SHANGHAI - Many supermarket chains around the country have stopped selling Red Bull products in reaction to concerns that the energy beverage might contain unauthorized additives, even though the manufacturer insisted that its product was safe.

The moves follow media reports in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, that claim some ingredients in the drink have not been registered with the State Food and Drug Administration and are not approved for vitamin drinks.

"We took all the beverages from this brand off the shelf on Saturday out of safety concerns, even though the reports gave conflicting answers as to whether the drink was safe or not," said a store manager surnamed Sun at City Shop in Shanghai's Huangpu district on Sunday.

"We will consider returning the goods to the supplier, or putting them back on the shelf, if the quality watchdog says they are safe," he said.

A woman surnamed Shi in the customer service department of the Furong outlet of Carrefour in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, also said that sales of Red Bull products had been suspended after a weekend order by the chain's city headquarters.

Some major stores in Guangzhou and Beijing also told reporters that they had temporarily suspended sales.

The company posted a statement on its official website on Saturday, saying all of its functional beverages were safe and produced in line with national laws and standards.

Functional beverages are a category of drinks that includes sports and nutrition beverages.

Red Bull energy drinks are removed from the shelf in a supermarket in Shanghai on Saturday. Sales of the drink were suspended by many retailers in China after media reports said that it contained unapproved ingredients. [Pei Xin / Xinhua]