Bottler refutes tainted claim

Nongfu Spring Co yesterday refuted the claim by Haikou city officials that two of its beverages were contaminated with the toxic chemical arsenic, and complained about the way local officials have handled the entire episode.

At a press briefing in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province yesterday, Nongfu officials showed the results of tests done by the National Food Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (NFQSIC) that showed its products - Shuirong C100 in Grapefruit flavor (a water-soluble vitamin C beverage) and Nongfu Orchard 30% Mixed Fruit and Vegetable Juice - had below the accepted level of 0.2 mg of arsenic per liter.

"All of our products are definitely free of the poisonous chemical arsenic we're going to make a claim for compensation from the local government," said Zhong Shanshan, chairman of Nongfu Spring, without elaborating on how much compensation the company will demand.