Red Bull continues PR fightback

The allegations against the Austrian beverage producer in Hong Kong follow the recent confiscation of 18,000 cases by Taiwanese authorities. The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong claims to have found traces of the drug in three Red Bull products, including Red Bull Cola, Red Bull Energy Drink and Red Bull Sugar-free.

“It would have been absolutely impossible for the Hong Kong or any other authorities to have found traces of cocaine in Red Bull Energy Drink,” the company said in a statement.

“The Hong Kong authorities appear to be confused. They picked up concerns in Germany about an entirely different product that is not even available in Hong Kong or any other Asian market - Red Bull Simply Cola - and not the Energy Drink.”

The statement follows a similar broadside in Taiwan following several days of negative press coverage.

The statement noted that the Red Bull’s products had also been analysed in Hong Kong by “an independent and accredited institute according to the most reliable and accurate methodology, HPLC/MS”.

“Not surprisingly, the results show that Red Bull Energy Drink does not contain any cocaine. We expect the Hong Kong authorities to recognise their error soon.”