Ukrainian officials seize Chernobyl spirit drinks made from apples grown close to the nuclear plant in Chernobyl. It was the site of the famous nuclear leak that gained world attention and is now producing a fruit-based beverage.
Chernobyl spirit drinks made from Apples, seized by officials
These are the first bottles produced by growing apples close to the closed nuclear plant. It is also called an artisanal spirit or cocktail getting popular with consumers, reported the BBC.
On March 19, 1,500 bottles of Atomik alcoholic drink were intercepted and taken to the Kyiv Prosecutor's office, said the Chernobyl Spirit Company, noted MSN.
Atomik is developed by a social enterprise company run by scientists working in the 4,000-square-kilometer Exclusion zone abandoned after the catastrophic 1986 nuclear disaster. Raising experimental crops to see if grain and other food produced in the zone could be used to make safe-to-eat items has been one of their studies.
Before founding the Chernobyl Spirit Company with Ukrainian colleagues, Prof Jim Smith spent several years studying the exclusion zone. He added that everything is done according to the regulations, now they are accused of using forged Ukrainian excise stamps. He remarked that it was not clear since the bottles are meant for the UK market and have valid UK excise stamps.
The scientist, headquartered at Portsmouth University, stated that the first Atomik vodka martini is not radioactive like any other vodka after being first tried in 2019.
Ukraine officials' seizure of the Chernobyl spirit drinks made from apples on a truck in a distillery located in the Carpathians. Makers of the spirit say that's one of the first of the nuclear site's first consumer products since the 1986 nuclear disaster, cited Yahoo.
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The producer is currently awaiting the outcome of the investigation by Ukrainian security services but report having "no idea" why the shipment that was bound for the United Kingdom was taken.
Smith and his colleagues made changes to the 'Atomik' recipe to create an apple-based drink. All the apples are grown in the Narodichi district, which is immediately outside the exclusion zone. There are restrictions in agriculture and development.
The company wants to make donations of its profits to communities in Ukraine, including Narodichi, that are still suffering financially due to the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl.
Following up on the captured artisanal drinks, the BBC asked the Kyiv prosecutor's office for comment on the matter but has gotten no response yet.
Based on a discussion with Dr. Gennady Laptev, a co-owner of the company and a Chernobyl "liquidator," employed in the first weeks after the nuclear accident.
He added that the problem could be resolved sooner, to allow more production of Atomik that will have profits donated by the company to people affected by accident, who are still feeling its effects till now.
Like laptev, Smith from his work in Chernobyl from the 90s says selling the apple drink is just the start to help Ukrainians who will benefit, despite the slow recovery from radiation that does not affect their product.
The Chernobyl spirit drinks made from apples are hardly radioactive, and the seizure does not make sense since the scientist has checked their product.
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