Cocaine found in Red Bull in Hong Kong & Taiwan?

According to the AFP, Hong Kong officials "said a laboratory analysis found tiny amounts of the illegal drug in samples of 'Red Bull Cola,' 'Red Bull Sugar-free' and 'Red Bull Energy Drink'."

The Centre for Food Safety found traces of cocaine between 0.1 and 0.3 micrograms per litre (not harmful quantities according to the article) and Red Bull has been taken off the shelves at major supermarkets in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's commissioner for narcotics, Sally Wong, said the government was now taking legal advice on any possible liability for importers and retailers.
"Cocaine is a dangerous drug... The possession and dealing in the drug is a criminal offence," she said in the statement.

Red Bull's Asia Pacific marketing director, Daniel Beatty said: "It would have been absolutely impossible for the Hong Kong or any other authorities to have found traces of cocaine in Red Bull Energy Drink." According to to the company, "independent tests on the same batch of drinks had found no traces of cocaine."

Meanwhile, in Taiwan:

Taiwan officials said Saturday they had confiscated nearly 18,000 cases of Red Bull imported from Austria after finding it contained traces of the drug.

Taiwanese authorities ordered the drinks to be removed from shelves pending further investigation.

Comments

[Slingshot RPM]

Wow what a news, I hope that this is not true, it could ruin the companies reputation.