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No Red Bull products circulating in Vietnam have been found containing toxic substances, confirmed the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) yesterday, following reports that the product has been taken off shelves in China on fears of containing banned additives.

The VFA had ordered the National Institute for Testing Food Safety and Hygiene, and the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Hygiene and Public Health to collect and test samples of the energy drink, and found no contaminated products, the food safety authority wrote in its latest announcement.

Last week, Chinese media reports stated that some of the beverage's ingredients are not registered with the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) and are not approved for vitamin functional beverages, according to Xinhua news agency.

An overdose of the substance could cause headaches, stress, anxiety, tinnitus and addiction, Xinhua quoted Dr Zhang Jing from the First Hospital, affiliated with Harbin University of Medical Science, as saying.

Following the news over the banned additives, supermarkets in many Chinese cities have taken Red Bull products off their shelves.

Meanwhile in Vietnam, Red Bull is still on sale in supermarkets around HCMC.

The sales departments of most supermarkets said they will depend on further announcements from VFA to decide whether to take the drink off shelves.

For its part, Red Bull Vietnam Co Ltd has confirmed all of its beverage products are safe for consumers.

Red Bull products circulating in Vietnam have been domestically manufactured since 2000, said the company CEO Chanachai Earsakul.

“All additives used in the products have been registered with VFA, and met required health standards as per Vietnamese law.”