Law doesn't require checks for toxic plasticisers in liquor, says drinks group

The China Alcoholic Drinks Association has hit back at critics over the revelation that high levels of a toxic chemical were found in a famous Chinese liquor brand.

It said checks for the contaminant in question aren't required under current quality assurance standards for liquor.

However, the association also admitted that nearly all liquor produced on the mainland contains levels of industrial plasticisers, called phthalates, that exceed national standards for food.

In a statement issued on Monday, the association said mainland authorities have been working on amending regulations for liquor production, with a priority being given to limiting the presence of industrial plasticizers, ever since a food-safety scandal last year involving excessive levels of plasticisers in sports drinks from Taiwan.

The statement was released the same day that Hunan-based Jiugui Liquor's products were alleged by local media to contain phthalates at more than three times the level allowed in national standards that govern all food.

The Hunan provincial quality watchdog said it would look into the matter, China News Service reported online.