The drinks Four Loko still on the market

Photo Matthew Charest
The cans of Four Loko were to disappear of the shelves in mid-January.

Robert Plouffe

Sunday 4 February 2018 22:17

UPDATE
Sunday 4 February 2018 22:17

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A month and a half after the order to withdraw tablets of the alcoholic beverage Four Loko, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux must admit that all the cases of these products are not out of the market and destroyed.

“It is a difficult issue,” acknowledges a spokesperson for the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ), Mr. Joyce Tremblay, who has not denied that the Régie has thought of resorting to the Société des alcools du Québec to get your hands on the goods.

On 12 December, the authority had given a deadline of 30 days to the manufacturer, the Cider house Solar de Terrebonne, to eliminate its entire range of alcoholic beverages, Four Loko, Mojo, Octane, Seagram’s fruit are very popular with young people.

Analyses have confirmed that the high alcohol content in these products, or 11.9 %, is not obtained from the fermentation of the malt, but an addition of ethyl alcohol.

Cases of teens hospitalized after drinking the contents of a single or two cans of this drink have been publicized in the media.

The bankruptcy of $ 40 million of the bottler Solar (see table below) in the aftermath of the withdrawal of the products would explain the delay of nearly a month in respect of the order.

“The inspectors of the RACJ has carried out almost 500 inspections to date to ensure that there were no more sales of products manufactured by Solar,” insists mr. Tremblay is trying to reassuring.

Thousands of cases of the range of products, Four Loko (the “RACJ” can’t say how much) stack, always in the warehouses of retailers, supermarkets, and convenience stores across Quebec.

“Is-is that 100 % of the products have been withdrawn ? No. Is it that the majority of products have been withdrawn ? Yes, ” confirms the deputy DG of the food retailers association, Pierre-Alexandre Blouin.

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A week ago, the Montreal police have seized boxes of cans in a warehouse on the rue Notre-Dame and the charges of storing illegal alcoholic beverages should be brought against the owner.

At a hearing held last Wednesday, the board has granted a temporary authorization to a numbered company represented by Michel Bezeau, who is now the requirement to recover and destroy the prohibited drinks.

Mr. Bezeau is director of operations at Soremag, a company of Laval, which manufactures rubber parts. The Newspaper has been in contact with him.

Public money swallowed up in the bankruptcy of Cider house Solar

Unsecured creditors

Revenu Québec
30 125 841 $

Revenue Canada
389 785,17 $

Business Development bank of Canada
1 328 080 $

Canada economic development
1 123 345 $

Centre local de développement économique des Moulins
81 074 $

Hydro-Québec
12 472,72 $

Recyc-Québec
308 825 $

TOTAL
33 369 422,89 $

*Source : Trustee Raymond Chabot