Controversies

“Arsenic Gate”: Haikou industry and commerce mistakenly tested total arsenic exceeding standard

In November 2009, the Haikou Municipal Industry and Commerce Bureau issued a consumer warning saying that Nongfu Spring's Nongfu Orchard 30% mixed fruit and vegetable juice and Shuirong C100 had total arsenic exceeding the standard; the products were taken off shelves in many places, triggering nationwide panic. Nongfu Spring questioned the test results and said they were manipulated. Authoritative retesting showed that the relevant batches were all qualified; the Hainan Provincial Industry and Commerce Bureau ultimately determined that the initial test had erred because of decreased instrument sensitivity and nonstandard sample weighing and dilution, and that procedures had been improper. Nongfu Spring suffered severe sales losses; the regulator publicly explained the cause of the error.