Importers and retailers were urged yesterday to stop taking the caffeinated energy drink Red Bull after the government found it contained traces of cocaine.
The Government Laboratory confirmed that samples of Red Bull Cola, Red Bull Sugar-free and Red Bull Energy Drink contained 0.1 to 0.3 micrograms of cocaine per litre.
Commissioner for Narcotics Sally Wong Pik-yee said the commission was seeking legal advice on the possible liability of various parties.
She said importers and other retailers might wish to stop selling such products as a precaution.
But the Department of Health and Centre for Food Safety said such extremely low levels of cocaine were unlikely to cause psychotropic or adverse health effects.
The ParknShop and Wellcome supermarket chains have stopped selling Red Bull products since Sunday after trace amounts of cocaine were found in Red Bull Cola by health authorities in Austria, Germany and Taiwan last week.