Recently, at a media exchange meeting in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, the Chairman of Nongfu Spring, Zhong Shu Shu, disclosed some industry secrets but was subsequently reported by someone accusing that the pure water produced by his company poses a “risk to public health”.
According to reports from Securities Times and China Fund News, Zhong Shu Shu, Chairman of Nongfu Spring, stated in an interview that the production of Nongfu Spring’s green bottle water was done in a fit of anger, and he did not intend for families to drink pure water for an extended period.
A verified scientific science blogger on Weibo, Xiang Dong Liang, posted on November 22 that he had filed a report with the Hangzhou Xihu District Market Supervision Bureau, alleging that the consumption of Nongfu Spring pure water (green bottle) may pose a threat to public health.
Xiang Dong Liang claimed that based on information from the official media “21st Century Economic Report”, Zhong Shu Shu publicly admitted that the long-term consumption of Nongfu Spring green bottle pure water would lead to problems and launching the product was a decision made in a fit of anger.
Considering that Zhong Shu Shu is the actual controlling person of Nongfu Spring, it is reasonable to deduce that he led the production and quality control of the company’s green bottle pure water, thus having a full understanding of the production secrets of the product. With the company’s controlling person personally acknowledging that the green bottle pure water product is not suitable for long-term consumption and may impact public health, there is reason to believe that the product poses risks to public health in terms of production quality and food safety.
Moreover, the packaging of Nongfu Spring green bottle water does not provide any health warnings regarding related safety issues. Despite the knowledge that it is not suitable for long-term consumption, no purchase restrictions have been implemented, showing a subjective intent to allow the product to harm public safety. Xiang Dong Liang earnestly requests the market supervision department to conduct a strict investigation to protect the health of consumers and safeguard the reputation of the drinking water industry.
The science blogger further explained that the human body obtains the vast majority of necessary minerals and trace elements from food, making the content of such substances in drinking water negligible. The most important aspect of drinking water is cleanliness, and packaged drinking water that meets national standards is generally safe to drink, except for brands that openly admit safety issues.
Xiang Dong Liang shared screenshots of Zhong Shu Shu’s relevant statements and his successful report submission in his blog post.
According to reports from Tech News and Daily Economic News, on November 19 and 20, Zhong Shu Shu responded publicly to various disputes and doubts that have recently attracted widespread attention in society during the media exchange meeting. His high-profile remarks were criticized for potentially angering many industry leaders.
When discussing the initial intention behind launching the pure water (green bottle water) this year, Zhong Shu Shu said, “To be honest, at that time, I was angry. I did it to restore my reputation. I didn’t deceive anyone. You have to understand how valuable one’s reputation is. I, Zhong Shu Shu, am not a fraud.”
Zhong Shu Shu revealed that he has always controlled the price of green bottle water to prevent it from being sold at a high price, emphasizing that pure water is only worth that much.
He mentioned, “But I still do not want everyone to drink green bottle water. It’s fine to buy one or two bottles when thirsty temporarily, but it is not advisable for the whole family to drink from morning till night for an extended period, which will definitely cause problems.”
In February of this year, the founder of Wahaha, Zong Qinghou, passed away, leading to rumors online about Nongfu Spring and Wahaha, which triggered attacks of online rumors against Zhong Shu Shu. Faced with unfavorable public opinion, Zhong Shu Shu swiftly resumed the pure water business that had been halted for 20 years in April, stating that the revival of the pure water business was to “give consumers more choices”.
The so-called green bottle water mentioned by Zhong Shu Shu refers to the bottled pure water produced by Nongfu Spring, while the corresponding red bottle water is the bottled mineral water (natural water) produced by Nongfu Spring. The main difference between the two products lies in the fact that natural water undergoes only necessary treatment, retaining various mineral elements like potassium, sodium, and calcium.