Chinese Liquor Suppliers Accused Of Putting Viagra In Booze

Chinese police are investigating if two distillers in the southwestern region of Guangxi added impotence treatment drug Viagra to their liquor in the latest food-safety scare in China.

The Liuzhou Food and Drug Administration said that the powder was added to three different types of baijiu – a strong, clear spirit that is China’s most popular drink, and that the labels on the bottles boasted the alcohol’s “health-preserving qualities”.

China’s Food and Drug Administration told NBC News on Monday that there are 51 companies in total under investigation for allegedly spiking “baiju” – a Chinese specialty known for its fiery flavor – with doses of Sildenafil, the generic name for erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. China continues to face widespread food safety problems, which is a major concern for the nation.

They said the haul was worth up to 700,000 yuan (£72,000; $113,000). Barcode tracking systems for produce, common in the United States and Europe, are largely absent in the country and food safety control systems from farm to factory are weak.

In 2013, Chinese police said they broken a crime ring that passed off more than one million dollars in rat and small mammal meat as mutton.