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Officials test Chinese beers for methanol
By Joyce Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2003, Page 10
The government is expected to launch an investigation into 10 imported Chinese beer brands to see if they violate the law by containing cancer-causing methanol, said Liu Teng-cheng (¼B¿O«°), director-general of the treasury department under the Ministry of Finance.
"If the China-brewed beers test methanol-positive, their distributors will be subject to trial and sales will be immediately banned," Liu told a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Liu distributors whose beer imports are proven to be methanol-positive may face a jail term of up to one year or a fine of between NT$300,000 to NT$1 million.
The 10 beers are Tsingtao Beer («C®q°à°s), Jinwei Beer (ª÷«Â°à°s), Blue Belt Beer (ÂŨ©°à°s), Yanjing Beer (¿P¨Ê°à°s), Chongqing Beer («¼y°à°s), Yantei Beer (·Ï¥x°à°s), Zhonghua Beer (¤¤µØ°à°s), Huiquan Beer (´f¥þ°à°s), Jinchi Beer (ª÷°Í°à°s) and Boss Beer.
Health expect to finish collecting the beer samples today. They have also requested distributors provide them with details of the beers' brewing process.
The test results will be available in a week, said Chen Lu-hung (³¯³°§»), director-general of bureau of food sanitation under the Department of Health.
Liu Chinese beers held a 9 percent market share in the first five months this year.
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