Will Hong Kong Consumer Council reputation suffer after mainland Chinese water saga?
- Lawmakers praise watchdog, while some mainland internet users poke fun at findings over classification for Nongfu Spring’s bottled water
Some internet users on the mainland poked fun at the Consumer Council’s updated findings, which they said showed Nongfu Spring’s bottled water was found to be neither spring nor mineral water according to international standards.
Others wondered whether the watchdog would steer clear of reviewing mainland products in the future after the drinks giant issued a legal letter refuting the council’s initial findings in a safety report that led to its apology.
But lawmakers in the city said the Consumer Council’s credibility was not affected and praised it for owning up to its mistake.
The watchdog said on Thursday it had listed Nongfu Spring’s water in an incorrect category in a safety report after the brand slammed the initial findings as “extremely unscientific and irresponsible” and demanded an apology.
It re-evaluated the bottled water as a five-star product and reclassified it in an independent category of “natural drinking water”.
