(Yicai) July 18 -- Shares of Nongfu Spring soared after the Consumer Council in Hong Kong said sorry for the erroneous report on the level of bromate in Chinese bottled water giant's products after classifying them as natural mineral water instead of natural drinking water.

Nongfu Spring [HKG: 9633] surged 6.8 percent to HKD35.45 (USD4.54) a share as of 3.30 p.m. in Hong Kong today, after jumping by as much as 8 percent earlier.

The Consumer Council met with representatives of Nongfu Spring and learned that the products are not natural mineral water but natural drinking water, so it has reassessed the ratings, the independent statutory authority said on its website today.

On July 15, the Consumer Council released a report on 30 bottled water brands, including Nongfu Spring and Ganten Food & Beverage, saying that Nongfu Spring's bottled water contains 3 micrograms per liter of bromate, which is the maximum acceptable concentration for natural mineral water set by the European Union.

Following the report, Hangzhou-based Nongfu Spring's stock plunged 4.6 percent on July 15 and 2.8 percent the day after.

While collecting samples for testing, employees mistakenly categorized Nongfu Spring as natural mineral water, the Consumer Council noted, adding that no harmful substances exceeding the standards were found in the tested products, making them safe to drink.

The product tested by the Consumer Council was drinking water but was evaluated based on natural mineral water standards, Nongfu Spring said on July 16. Ganten also issued a statement, claiming that some reports by Hong Kong media were inaccurate.

The EU and China's standards for bromate are not to exceed 10 micrograms per liter, so the detected amount of 3 micrograms per liter in Nongfu Spring's products is below the standard, making them safe for consumption, the Consumer Council pointed out.

According to the Consumer Council, the World Health Organization has set the upper limit for bromate content in drinking water at 10 micrograms per liter. The chance of posing a health risk is low if this limit is not exceeded.

Nongfu Spring promptly affirmed that the test results show that its products comply with the relevant standards and are safe for consumption. The company will continue to provide safe and high-quality products and services for the Hong Kong market, it added.

Editor: Martin Kadiev