Kingfisher to show list of ingredients
Brand aiding ministry in poisoning probe
KUALA LUMPUR: International beer brand Kingfisher will submit a list of ingredients to the Health Ministry as part of an ongoing probe into alcohol poisoning that has claimed 29 lives in Malaysia.
This is despite the Health Ministry clarifying that the deaths could be due to methanol poisoning – an ingredient not found in Kingfisher beer.
Representing the brewer, United Breweries Limited, Ultimate Branding Worldwide chief executive officer V. Shashikanth said submitting the list showed the company’s willingness to cooperate with authorities.
Thus, he said the company would submit its list of ingredients and outline the manufacturing process.
“We only use natural ingredients and follow strict requirements.
“We don’t know how Kingfisher was implicated in the case but I can confirm we have nothing to do with it,” he said yesterday.
However, Shashikanth said the brewer acknowledged that bootleg or counterfeit versions of Kingfisher beer had been sold in Malaysia.
“We detected this more than eight months ago. We have worked with the authorities to curb the sale of counterfeit beer. The sales of such beer have declined significantly,” he said.
Authentic Kingfisher beer, he said, has less than 8% alcohol content and used only natural ingredients.
“The fake ones have some 11% alcohol content.
“The real one has a manufacturing and expiry date along with a batch number while the fake ones only have an expiry date,” he said.
Furthermore, Shashikanth said authentic Kingfisher beer had the profile of a bucket on the ring pull can while the fake ones only featured a loop.
“We brought the matter of counterfeit Kingfisher beer to the High Court on Oct 19, 2017,” he said.
“The price of a carton of Kingfisher Beer is about RM200 while the fake ones are sold at a significantly lower price.
“Kingfisher is exported to 69 countries for nearly 30 years,” he said.
“We have never been accused of causing fatalities in any country where the beer is sold,” he said.
Authentic Kingfisher beer has less than 8% alcohol content. The fake ones has some 11%. V. Shashikanth