China: Red Bull contains banned additives

• February 14, 2012 14:29

Supermarkets in major Chinese cities have stopped selling Red Bull energy drink after it was discovered that the product contained banned additives.

Supermarket staff removed Red Bull energy drink from shelves - Photo: THX

According to People's Daily, one of the banned additives is sodium benzoate. According to experts, overdosing on benzoate can cause symptoms such as headaches, tinnitus, nervousness, and even addiction. In addition, Red Bull also contains a number of other additives not listed by the China Food and Drug Administration, such as citric acid, carmine pigment, and tartrazine.

Although authorities have not yet officially banned the consumption of Red Bull, supermarkets across China have stopped selling the product. Since the information about Red Bull containing additives was announced on Harbin TV on February 9, the shelves that previously displayed Red Bull have been empty or replaced with other products.

However, Red Bull Company still affirmed that the energy drink product is produced according to national standards and is completely safe for users. Red Bull is one of the best-selling energy drinks in the world. This product was first produced in Thailand in 1966. The Red Bull brand entered the Chinese market in December 1995.

According to Tuoi Tre