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Hong Kong Consumer Council
(Hong Kong Consumer Council)
I bought them from supermarkets, department stores, and retail stores
30 samples of prepackaged canned or canned beers
It is tested for nutritional value, safety and quality
thereinto
One model was found to contain:
Deoxynivalenol (hereinafter referred to as DON) exceeded the standard
This sample is "Harbin HARBIN McDonnell Douglas Beer"
The detected level was 26 micrograms per kilogram
What is DON?
What are the hazards?
Harbin beer detected vomitoxin?
26 micrograms per kilogram
According to public information, the Hong Kong Consumer Council is one of the statutory bodies in Hong Kong, China, established in April 1974 and mainly responsible for protecting the rights and interests of consumers in Hong Kong, China.
The brands involved in this test include China Resources Snow Beer, Tsingtao Beer, Heineken Beer, Budweiser Beer, Carlsberg Beer, Harbin McDonnell Douglas Beer, etc., priced at HK$4.5-5.0 per can or bottle, with a capacity of 330-500ml. Among them, Harbin McDonnell Douglas was detected with DON. The detected level was 26 micrograms per kilogram.
Source: Hong Kong Consumer Council's official website
What is deoxynivalenol (DON)?
According to the Hong Kong Consumer Council, deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin, may cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever within 30 minutes after excessive ingestion.
According to the Consumer Council of Hong Kong, with reference to the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives on DON, if an adult weighing 60 kg is calculated, drinking 4 cans of DON in a day (Harbin) is still within the safe level.
The reporter checked the national food safety standards in Chinese mainland and noticed that deoxynivalenol is classified as a mycotoxin, which is one of the secondary toxic metabolites produced by fungi during growth and reproduction, and belongs to "mycotoxins that may pose a greater risk to public health."
DON is commonly found in corn, barley, wheat and other cereals and their products. Grains such as barley and corn are the main ingredients for the production of beer, so they are likely to appear in beer.
The company's response: the entire production and sales process of the product
All of them comply with the relevant laws and regulations of the Mainland
The Hong Kong Consumer Council sent for inspection a 500ml can of Harbin Beer and McDonnell Douglas. The reporter consulted the e-commerce platform Harbin Beer Flagship Store as a consumer, and the customer service said that the flagship store of this product was not sold.
According to Nanfang+, the manufacturer of "Harbin HARBIN McDonnell Douglas" responded that the product has only been produced and sold in the mainland, and the entire production and sales process of the product complies with relevant mainland laws and regulations.
Although Harbin McDonnell Douglas is known as a Chinese city, the Harbin Beer brand has been acquired by Budweiser APAC Holdings Limited, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is controlled by foreign investors under the code name Budweiser APAC, which brews, imports, promotes, distributes and sells a portfolio of more than 50 beer brands, including Budweiser, Times, Corona, Fujia, Kaishi and Harbin.
According to the official website of Budweiser APAC Holdings Co., Ltd., Harbin Beer originated in 1900 and has been exported to more than 30 countries and regions around the world as the earliest beer in China.
The reporter repeatedly called the phone number registered by Budweiser China in Tianyancha to try to understand the reasons behind the relevant report and its impact, but the call was never answered.
On the e-commerce platform, there are some third-party stores selling this product, bottled and canned products are sold, and the price of 6 bottles is mostly around 40 yuan, and the location of these third-party online stores and the delivery of products are all in Harbin. A third-party Taobao store responded to the 21st Century Business Herald reporter that the production date of the Harbin Beer Douglas on sale was from the end of last year to February this year, with a shelf life of 6 months, and it was produced by the Harbin Brewery General Factory.
Harbin Beer Douglas on an e-commerce site
Carlsberg and Coopers have the largest variety of biogenic amines
Excessive amounts of biogenic amines may cause headaches and dizziness problems
In addition to DON, the Hong Kong Consumer Council also tested 30 sample beers for biogenic amines. It is reported that in the fermentation process of alcohol, yeast consumes starch or sugar for fermentation to produce alcohol, and biogenic amines are by-products of the fermentation process. Therefore, biogenic amines are generally used as one of the important indicators to measure the quality, safety and hygiene of alcoholic beverages.
According to the test results, the 30 sample beer samples were detected with different types and concentrations of biogenic amines, among which Carlsberg beer samples were the most detectable biogenic amines (7 kinds), and Coopers beer samples were the second most likely to detect biogenic amines (5 kinds). In addition, the two biogenic amines – putrescine and agmatine – were the highest among the samples in Carlsberg and Coopers, with concentrations ranging from 32.8 to 121.4 milligrams per litre of single biogenic amines.
At present, there are no regulations on the content of biogenic amines in beer in Hong Kong, China or internationally. According to the Hong Kong Consumer Council, excessive intake of biogenic amines may cause health problems, including headaches, dizziness, vomiting, respiratory disorders, etc., and may even lead to cerebral hemorrhage.
Source: Hong Kong Consumer Council's official website
In response to the detection of more biogenic amines, on April 18, the reporter contacted the relevant person in charge of Carlsberg Beer, but as of press time, no reply has been received. In addition, according to Carlsberg Beer's response to the Hong Kong Consumer Council, it said that the test found that the sample contained a low dose of putrescine, a biogenic amine commonly found in many fermented foods. At present, the European Union and the Centre for Food Safety of Hong Kong have not set food safety standards for putrescine in food. Carlsberg pointed out that Carlsberg has always attached great importance to product quality and safety, and has been strictly monitoring the production, storage and transportation procedures of beer to ensure that all beer products produced comply with international and local food safety regulations and standards before they are officially released.
Source: Xinhua News Agency, Nanfang+, 21st Century Business Herald, Nandu Weekly, Zhongxin Jingwei
Editor-in-charge: Tian Dechu
Editor: Anne Xu