Orange spat juiced up by watchdog’s clean tests
SONGJIANG District market watchdog conducted spot checks yesterday into a Shanghai company which operates Vingoo orange juice vending machines across the country after action by authorities in Shenzhen in south China’s Guangdong Province.
Songjiang Market Supervision and Management Bureau found no problems with the vending machines, and officials suggested different results were the result of different testing methods.
Geant Investment, owner of Vingoo vending machines, was fined 1.2 million yuan (US$180,000) by Shenzhen Market Inspection Bureau after some components of the machines which came into contact with orange juice were ruled to be in breach of standards.
The components referred to are two claws made of aluminum alloy and a piece of polypropylene on the top of the upper claw, officials with Songjiang Market Supervision and Management Bureau said.
Tests found the polypropylene came into contact with the juice but the claws only touched the peel, said Gao Guoliang, director of the food manufacturing department of the bureau.
Polypropylene is obviously not aluminum alloy and therefore does not need an organic coating, said Gao.
Officials in Shenzhen viewed the polypropylene as part of the claws, while Shanghai authorities tested them separately.
“We conducted an investigation immediately, and both on-the-spot and laboratory tests showed the machines were up to standard,” said Gao.