XN000022-1985-07-26 — Page 3

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1985

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THREE MORE BRANDS OF ADULTERATED WINE FOUND

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THREE MORE BRANDS OF AUSTRIAN WINE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO CONTAIN DIETHYLENE GLYCOL, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY.

THE NAMES OF THE WINES ARE: RUSTER BEERENAUSLESE OSTERREICH BURGENLAND 1983, TRAUSDORFTER WELSCHRIESLING TROCKEN BEERENAUSLESE 1982 AND FELFER SCHILLINGEBERG GRUNER VESLTLINER EISWEIN-OSTERREICH 1983. PERCENTAGES OF THE CHEMICAL PRESENT ARE 0.5 PER CENT, 0.3 PER CENT AND 0.4 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN BOTTLES OF THE FIRST WINE HAVE BEEN SEIZED FROM AN IMPORTER. THE TOTAL BATCH CONSISTED OF 240 BOTTLES. THE IMPORTER ACTS ALSO AS A RETAILER AND THE BALANCE OF THE

TTLES WAS SOLD DIRECT TO ABOUT 40 PEOPLE. IT IS THOUGHT THAT

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- IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF SUPPLY IN THE TERRITORY.

THE OTHER TWO WINES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN BY ANOTHER IMPORTER AND CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICERS ARE ABOUT TO SEIZE 500 TO 600 BOTTLES. INVESTIGATIONS ARE STILL GOING ON TO TRY AND ESTABLISH HOW MANY BOTTLES HAVE REACHED THE MARKET.

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+THIS WINE SHOULD NOT BE DRUNK+, SAID SUPERINTENDENT LAWRENCE +ANYONE WHO HAS PURCHASED IT SHOULD SURRENDER THEIR BOTTLES.+

A NUMBER OF SAMPLES OF OTHER WINES IS STILL BEING TESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY AND THE PUBLIC WILL BE KEPT FULLY INFORMED

ANY FURTHER CONTAMINATION IS FOUND.

EEC CONSUMERS CALL FOR TRADE LIBERALISATION

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REPRESENTATIVES OF EUROPEAN CONSUMERS HAVE ATTACKED THE EEC POSITION ON TEXTILES AS BEING TOO TIMID AND HAVE CALLED FOR A FIRM STANCE IN FAVOUR OF TRADE LIBERALISATION AND THE PHASING OUT OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.

THIS WAS WELCOMED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR DONALD TSANG, WHO WAS COMMENTING ON A JOINT STATEMENT MADE BY THE EUROPEAN CONSUMERS' BUREAU (ECB) AND THE FOREIGN TRADE ASSOCIATION (FTA).

IN A RECENT STATEMENT TO THE EEC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, THE EEC COMMISSION, WHILE RECOGNISING THAT LIBERALISATION AND MFA ABOLITION MUST BE THE EVENTUAL AIM, PUT FORWARD NO DEADLINE OR SUGGESTION AS TO HOW THIS SHOULD BE ACHIEVED.

/+ECB AND