China's food watchdog said it had ordered investigations into four beverage groups whose juice products were reportedly made from rotten fruit.

The announcement came after four companies based in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong, including two branches of Beijing Huiyuan, the country's top juice maker, were accused in recent media reports of using rotten and unripe fruit to make juice.

The China Food and Drug Administration said on September 23 in a statement that preliminary investigations found no rotten fruit. Indeed Shandong Huiyuan, a branch of Beijing Huiyuan, hasn't produced any juice since December last year.

According to the statement, the two companies in Anhui have been ordered to suspend their operations and cooperate with law enforcement departments in further investigations.

"Related provincial food and drug administrations will handle these cases if further investigations find violations," the statement said.

Microsoft JV in China

BesTV New Media Co. Ltd., a Shanghai media company, said on September 23 that it's planning an entertainment development venture with Microsoft. The company has a registered capital of $79 million.

BesTV New Media said in a bulletin posted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it will hold a 51-percent share and Microsoft 49 percent in the joint venture, initially named E-Home Entertainment Development. The total investment of both sides will reach $237 million.

The new company's board chairman will be chosen by BesTV and the chief executive officer by Microsoft.

The joint venture is expected to be set up in the newly established pilot free trade zone in Shanghai and will develop games and related services.

BesTV, a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group, boasts 18 million IPTV subscribers with its businesses in China, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.