Further tests show excess plasticizers in Jiugui liquor (3)

On Monday, Hunan Jiugui Liquor Co, based in the central China province, said the Shanghai testing company was not authoritative and it would be sending products to an official facility for checks.

Jiugui Liquor shares listed at the Shenzhen exchange market have been suspended since Monday. The news report also caused a sharp drop in the share price of many other major domestic liquor makers.

Jiugui products were still on sale in supermarkets across the country yesterday, although some stores have removed Jiugui liquor from their shelves.

According to experts, plasticizers are used to thicken liquids, but alcohol products do not need this. The chemicals can cause damage to male fertility as well as digestive and immune systems.

Liu Xuejun, a food science professor of Jilin Agricultural University, told Xinhua there were two possible causes of excessive levels of plasticizers in liquor. They could leak from PVC tubes or vessels used for storage or transportation. Or they could come from flavoring essence.

The China Alcoholic Drinks Association said on Monday that large-scale tests on China's liquor products showed almost all alcohol products contain plasticizers. But it said domestic content of plasticizers in liquor was lower than standards overseas.