Chinese beverage group Nongfu Spring, founded by the country’s wealthiest person, has demanded that a Hong Kong watchdog apologise after it said the company’s bottled water hit the EU’s limit for bromate content.
Hong Kong shares in the company closed almost 3 per cent lower on Tuesday after Hong Kong’s Consumer Council released a report on the quality of 30 bottled water samples.
The report said the water contained three micrograms per litre of bromate, the maximum limit set by the EU for natural mineral waters. It added that this “disinfection byproduct” can cause symptoms including nausea and abdominal pain if ingested in large amounts.