QUALITY watchdogs in Hunan Province have detected plasticizers in samples of Jiugui liquor and are urging the Hunan-based producer to determine the source of the toxic substances.
The announcement by the Hunan Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision yesterday followed a report by news website 21cbn.com that Jiugui liquor contains excessive and toxic plasticizers which could impair male sexual function and even cause liver cancer.
Bureau officials told Xinhua news agency that they tested samples of a Jiugui product and detected plasticizer substance dibutyl phthalate (DBP). According to the officials, the maximum volume of DBP they tested in the samples reached 1.04mg/kg.
China doesn't have a national standard for plasticizers in liquor, but according to a standard for additives in food containers and packaging provided by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, DBP volume should be below 0.3mg/kg.
The officials have ordered the drink producer, Hunan Jiugui Liquor Co, to find out the source of the substance, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai company which carried out tests for the news website said its results were accurate though they couldn't confirm whether the samples tested were Jiugui products.
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