Chinese government has reprimanded the China's largest brewing force, Tsingtao, and ordered to withdraw its latest beer brand, because it contains traditional Chinese medicines - a practice prohibited in the country. That beer brand was hoped to protect the drinkers against the SARS virus. The name of the “SARS-busting” beer brand is Banlangen and was launched in March. The brand was named after a root that many Chinese believe can help protect against the killer virus. However, Chinese law forbids adding ingredients from traditional Chinese medicin into food or drink or using names of traditional Chinese remedies within brand names.

"We are preparing to recall all of our 'Banlangen' beer, which reached about 100 tonnes," Tsingtao spokesman Zhang Ruixiang said, according to Reuters report. "We began developing beer with various flavours since last year. We not only have Banlangen beer, we also have developed green tea beer, bitter melon beer and chrysanthemum beer ... and most of them are available at stores now though sales volume is still very thin," Zhang said.

12 May, 2003