TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 216

Question No. 10

Reply by the Hon. E.P. Ho, CBE, JP,

Secretary for Trade and Industry,

to a question by the Hon. K.C. Chan, OBE, JP

in Legislative Council on 7 August 1985

Question:

Would Government make a statement on the "poisoned" wine incident and whether existing legislation and administrative procedures are adequate in protecting consumers from poisonous alcoholic beverages?

Sir,

Following the discovery in Germany of a toxic

substance, diethylene glycol, in certain Austrian table

wines the Customs Service immediately collected samples

of all available brands of such wines for testing.

131 samples have so far been collected and sent to the

Government Laboratory. Tests on 104 samples have been

completed, 16 of which have been certified to contain

diethylene glycol.

2.

In the light of the Government Chemist's tests,

the Customs Service publicised the names of those brands

found to contain the toxic substance and warned the public

of the danger to health of drinking these adulterated wines.

The trade has cooperated fully and up till yesterday 1,657

bottles of suspect Austrian wines have been surrendered

for forfeiture.

/3.

Any person