Hard liquor: Officials seize Chinese spirits laced with Viagra

Chinese authorities have seized thousands of bottles of spirits laced with chemicals used to make erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra, officials said.

Two manufacturers in Liuzhou were found to be adding elements including sildenafil and tadalafil, the chemicals more commonly known by their brand names Viagra and Cialis, to their baijiu products, the local food and drug administration said in a statement.

Baijiu, or white alcohol, is a traditional Chinese spirit distilled from sorghum or wheat, with a distinctive flavour and high alcohol content.

The makers called their products "Kungfu Alcohol" and "Life-nourishing Liquor", among other labels, authorities in the southern region of Guangxi said at the weekend, adding they had seized more than 5,300 bottles and nearly 1,200 kilograms of additive chemicals.

China has a long history of brewing supposedly aphrodisiac medical drinks, traditionally produced with animal penises.

Sildenafil and other such chemicals are banned in food and drink under Chinese law, but reports of illegal additions have previously made headlines.

A brewery owner in the central province of Hubei was detained in August last year for adding sildenafil to his products, reports said.

© 2015 AFP