Viagra In Alcohol: China Probes 2 Distillers For Adding Sildenafil To Liquor

Police in China announced an investigation on Sunday into two distillers over claims that liquor sold by them contained Viagra. On Saturday, officials seized more than 5,300 bottles, worth 700,000 yuan (about $113,000), of the allegedly doctored alcohol.

The distillers, based in the southwestern Guangxi region, are accused of spiking the popular Chinese liquor “baijiu” with Sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, at the Guikun Alcohol Plant and the Deshun Alcohol Plant in Liuzhou, Guangxi, the local food and drug administration said Sunday in a statement. The accused marketed the spirits as having health-preserving qualities.

The officials also confiscated Viagra in powder form from the two plants. According to the authorities, the powder was added to three types of “baijiu,” which is a strong, clear alcohol that fetches high prices in China, the South China Morning Post reported.

Last year, a businessman from central China's Hubei Province was accused of adding Sildenafil to alcohol and was arrested, RT.com reported.

Food quality concerns in China were highlighted in June after Chinese customs officials seized over 100,000 tons of smuggled meat worth more than $480 million. The meat was found to be up to 40 years old, and authorities arrested 21 criminal gangs in connection with the case. Last July, a Shanghai-based supplier to global food retailers recalled its products after allegations that it sold chicken and beef beyond the expiration date.

In July 2008, about 300,000 people were affected and at least six infants died of kidney stones and other related ailments after consuming milk adulterated with melamine. At least 54,000 babies were hospitalized in the country.