Friday, February 10, 2006

Baijiu counterfeiters prey on drunkards

Interfax China is running a story about bootlegged spirit, called Baijiu (white spirit), which can cause health problems when it is bottled with industry-use alcohol.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce warned consumers that much of the alcohol sold in so-called gift re-sale shops - places where people can sell or trade gifts received during the Spring Festival holiday (Chinese new year) - could be fake.

The counterfeit spirits have also turned up in bars in higher-end hotels, where bartenders wait until the customer is intoxicated, then switch to using the fake alcohol, the paper reported.

According to China Alcoholic Drinks Industry Association, this counterfeit spirit is not having much impact on the 3.12 bln liter per year Baijiu industry.

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