1 June 2009 - This weekend Taiwanese officials seized 17,165 cases Red Bull Energy Drink - valued at USD 781,000 - imported from Austria further to the cocaine discovery reports.
The 17,165 cases (each containing 24 cans) were seized from imorting company Nanlien International Co at warehouses in Taoyuan and Kaohsiung. The shipment is understood to have been imported into Taiwan last month.
Red Bull has criticised the Taiwanese health authorities by saying that its Energy Drink, unlike sister beverage Red Bull Simply Cola, is not flavoured from decocainised coca leaves.
The product which is suspected of having cocaine traces is Red Bull Simply Cola, which is not available in Taiwan, stressed Red Bull.
"There were some concerns in Germany about the legal qualification of decocainised coca leaf extract that is issued in the production of an entirely different product – one that is not even available in Taiwan or any other Asian market – Red Bull Simply Cola and not [Red Bull] Energy Drink", said the company.
Hong Kong, meanwhile, has reportedly began recalling Red Bull products.
Supermarkets such as Wellcome Supermarket, ParknShop, or even 7-eleven, have all removed the energy drink from their shelves temporarily as a precaution.
Taiwan and Hong Kong are now the second and third international markets after Jordan to have recalled the Austrian energy drink.