Paolyta Co (
Although the incident occurred in Taichung, central Taiwan, the beverage company decided to recall and destroy all of its Bullwild stock at convenience stores, grocery shops and betel nut stands, a company official told the Taipei Times.
"We will also suspend sales to avoid further injuries ... Initial losses are close to NT$30 million [nearly US$1 million]," James Lee (
Lee said it is difficult to estimate the level of other losses, such as damage to consumer trust, or when normal sales will be resumed.
"We're now waiting for the result of police investigations. As far as I know, we did not have any disputes [with outsiders] or receive any threatening notices," he said.
Bullwild, Paolyta's star product, quickly gained fame after it hit the market in 1997 with the help of humorous TV commercials featuring an emaciated husband and his fat wife.
About 1 million boxes of Bullwild were sold last year, contributing NT$480 million in sales, according to Lee. Each bottle, with a 160mL capacity, retails for NT$20.
The company has also extended its retail channels outside of Taiwan, an began exporting Bullwild to Hong Kong and Macau this year, according to its Web site.
Founded in 1956, Paolyta built its name by manufacturing herbal remedy Paolyta B (保力達B, a favorite among blue-collar workers.
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