The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health has been testing drink products of URC Hanoi Co. Ltd based on concerns around the excessive presence of lead in the firm’s ingredients.

On Monday, the VFA took samples from C2 bottled green tea and Rong Do (Red Dragon) energy drink from the domestic market and manufacturing facilities of Universal Robina Hanoi Co. Ltd. to carry out a thorough inspection.

URC Hanoi under URC Vietnam is the Vietnamese arm of Universal Robina Corporation, one of the largest consumer food and beverage companies in the Philippines.

Nguyen Thanh Phong, head of the VFA, told inspection units to present test reports as soon as possible since “this is a hot issue on social networks.”

The company began to raise public concern on Saturday, after a test report by the National Institute of Food Control spread on social media, and newswires reported the amount of lead in a sample of citric acid, an ingredient used by the drinking firm, stood at 0.84mg/kg, higher than the allowable lead content of 0.5 mg/kg.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, four major beverage makers in Vietnam, including Coca-Cola Vietnam, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage, Wonderfarm, and URC Vietnam Co. Ltd., are expected to undergo a comprehensive review this year by the health inspection department.

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