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Dozens of Chinese wine products were discovered to have been produced with Sildenafil, better known as Viagra
There are nationwide recalls of alcoholic products from 52 companies
Chinese distillers have been spiking their booze with Sildenafil, better known as Viagra, and are often marketing them for their extra health “benefits.”
A nationwide investigation lead by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) found that a total of 69 wine products, from 52 companies, had the drug or a substitute, as an additive.
The products are often explicitly or implicitly marketed for their anti-impotency properties and sexual health benefits.
Authorities discovered that 15 companies have illegally added Sildenafil in their products, while another 32 companies are suspected of mixing the drug and its substitutes into their products.
A recent seizure in Liuzhou yielded 1,124 kg of raw alcohol and a batch Sildenafil powder worth over 700,000 yuan ($112,726), according to a statement posted by the Liuzhou Food and Drug Administration on its website on Saturday.
The Liuzhou case, has been handed over to the police, the statement said.
It is a violation of food safety laws to add chemicals like Sildenafil into wine. Other than raw ingredients and approved food additives, China’s laws ban the addition of any substance or chemicals that may be harmful to human health into foods.
A total of 19 companies are under criminal investigation.
Authorities have halted production operations at the companies under scrutiny and have sealed illegal products immediately. The tainted products for sale have been recalled.
CNN’s Shen Lu contributed reporting