On July 16th, Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd. (Nongfu Spring) sent a lawyer’s letter to the Consumer Council of Hong Kong (Hong Kong Consumer Council) demanding a written clarification and apology for the significant damage caused to Nongfu Spring’s reputation. The Hong Kong Consumer Council stated that no harmful substances exceeding the relevant WHO guidelines were found in all samples tested, and all samples are safe for consumption.
Nongfu Spring’s official WeChat account announced on the morning of July 16th that they have instructed a Hong Kong law firm to send a letter to the Hong Kong Consumer Council stating: “The Council’s report, based on erroneous understanding and amateurish analysis, made an unfair evaluation of Nongfu Spring’s products’ bromate content, causing significant damage to Nongfu Spring’s reputation. Nongfu Spring earnestly requests the Council to provide a written clarification, apology, and eliminate all negative impacts on Nongfu Spring.”
Nongfu Spring mentioned that the products tested were labeled as natural drinking water, with the ingredient clearly marked as “natural water (deep lake water)” on the test result form. However, they were improperly categorized under “natural mineral water” and compared with different products, applying the EU standards for “natural mineral water”.
Nongfu Spring stated: “Even if adopting EU standards, Nongfu Spring’s natural drinking water products should be evaluated according to EU ‘drinking water’ safety standards, not ‘natural mineral water’ standards.”
In the report “Taste, Minerals, and Safety Testing of 30 Bottled Waters” released by the Hong Kong Consumer Council on July 15th, both Nestle Pure Life and Nongfu Spring’s bottled water samples were found to contain 3 micrograms of bromate per liter, reaching the maximum limit applicable to ozone-treated natural mineral water and spring water under EU standards.
As a result of this controversy, Nongfu Spring’s stock price has fallen for two consecutive trading days. On the day of the announcement, July 15th, the stock price plummeted by 4.56%, leading to a loss of 8.06 billion Hong Kong dollars in market value.
Regarding the controversy arising from the test, the Hong Kong Consumer Council responded that they are currently investigating the matter and it will take some time to sort out, with a response to follow later on. In the afternoon of July 16th, the relevant person from the Hong Kong Consumer Council stated that they have received a letter from the representative lawyer of one of the tested samples, Nongfu Spring, and are currently studying and following up on the issue. They emphasized that none of the 30 samples tested contained harmful substances exceeding the WHO guidelines and reiterated that all samples are safe for consumption. The focus of the article was on the cost-effectiveness of each sample and the environmental impact of bottled water containers, rather than product safety concerns.
The Hong Kong Consumer Council published the article “Taste, Minerals, and Safety Testing of 30 Bottled Waters” in the latest issue (No. 573) of their monthly magazine. The article stated that “Nestle Pure Life and Nongfu Spring were found to contain 3 micrograms of bromate per liter, reaching the EU’s maximum allowable limit for ozone-treated natural mineral water and spring water (3 micrograms per liter).”
The article is still available on the Consumer Council’s official website and has not been taken down.