Moët recalls bottles of champagne thought to contain MDMA

Moët Chandon Imperial Ice bottles have been recalled in mass after a number of units have been found to contain MDMA in Europe.

12 people have been poisoned due to contaminated champagne —Harald Georg Z, aged 52, died after drinking a gulp from a glass.

Four people in the Netherlands became ill after drinking the champagne, in Germany, eight people were poisoned in a restaurant in the Upper Palatinate region. Now, as reported in Lad Bible, Moët Chandon Imperial Ice bottles are being recalled amidst fears.

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The dosage of ecstasy is perceived to be lethal. As reported in The Times, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said: “Touching and/or drinking the contents of the bottles is life-threatening.

“It is not known how the MDMA ended up in these bottles. The [authority] is therefore unable to estimate whether there are any more of these bottles containing the hazardous substance in circulation. It cannot be ruled out that there are other bottles of the same brand in circulation that also contain MDMA.”

At least 100 grams of MDMA was found in the lethal case. It is still not known how the drug ended up in the bottle.

Health authorities have warned that while a contaminated bottle of champagne would look no different from the outside when poured contaminated champagne won't bubble as much, the liquid will be a reddish-brown colour that darkens over time, and it would have an anise scent. People have been warned to look out for these signs.

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“Even dipping a fingertip in the liquid and tasting it can lead to serious health problems, even without swallowing. Taking a small sip can be fatal,” said the watchdog. They warn anyone suspicious of a bottle to call the police.

According to reports in The Times of Malta, it is believed that drug smugglers are behind this spiking and that these bottles were emptied and replaced with liquid MDMA.

Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter

Update 08/3: This article has been amended after it incorrectly referenced MDMA in liquid form as liquid ecstasy.