KUALA LUMPUR: ADULTERATED beverages with ingredients that can land consumers in hospital are not only flooding the market, but are also expanding their reach abroad.
The manufacturers’ illicit concoctions do not have a limit on the lethal doses of “ingredients” injected into them.
These medicines they have their hands on, by rights, are only to be prescribed by doctors. These products are always slyly marketed. The producers get away with making promises of curing various medical conditions, including impotency that they have earned a steady stream of not only buyers, but also downline agents to grow their clientele.
The Health Ministry, which is on a continuous war against sellers and manufacturers of these deadly concoctions, has more than just the massive number of such products to deal with.
The ministry’s Pharmaceutical Division deputy director, Mazlan Ismail, told the New Straits Times that just based on samples of such beverages the ministry’s enforcers had brought back for tests, 129 turned up positive for controlled poisons, such as tadanafil, sildenafil, sibutramine and dexamethasone.
A flaw in the enforcement system is putting shackles on enforcement efforts.
The glaring loophole had oftentimes led them nowhere.
He said the beverages, including ones that come in the form of powder mix in sachets, come under the purview of the Food Safety and Quality Division.
The division is not obliged to test food before it enters the market.
Manufacturers are aware of this as well as the fact that the products need not be registered with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
“Manufacturers take advantage of this loophole to make a killing and are even rapidly expanding their market... nevermind that their products put consumers at great health risk.”
“In fact, food manufacturers who claim their products have medicinal properties must be made to send them to the Food Safety and Quality Division for tests.”
Explaining how these manufacturers circumvent the monitoring system, Mazlan said they masked the “by prescription” medicines in their packets of beverages and market them as coffee, tea or juices.
“They market them, among others, as Kopi Kuat... this supposedly addresses problems like erectile dysfunction, when in reality they pop in doses of sexual stimulants.
“Consumers actually consume medication such as Viagra from these uncontrolled, profit-driven businesses when the medication is and should be prescribed only by doctors,” he said.
A check on open shelves and among local online sellers by this reporter showed these products are in high demand. Even teenagers are keen on the promises and so-called “health benefits” of the adulterated coffee, tea and juices.
One new seller on Facebook, for instance, has no fewer than 10,000 “likes”. This seller was selling adulterated coffee brands that had been banned by the Health Ministry.
The same sellers peddling their illicit trade on social media are also on online shopping sites, such as 11street, Mudah, Lazada, Shoppe and eBay.
They even provide postal delivery to Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Aside from marketing their concoctions as aphrodisiac drinks, they also promised to address other health issues like haemorrhoids and high cholesterol.
Some even claimed that their concoctions could treat menopause and thyroid problems, improve physical and mental health, “correct” insulin levels and even develop brain cells.
These sellers go to the extent of declaring their illicit product as “superfood” and have no issues plastering their faces on their marketing campaign.
Mazlan reminded the public of a highly-publicised case not too long ago of a 36-year-old man, who died two hours after consuming an adulterated drink marketed as “Kopi Jantan Tradisional”.
Tests revealed that it contained high doses of sildenafil.
The story of his death was covered by NST’s sister newspaper, Harian Metro.
His widow said he had complained of headache, breathing difficulties and pain in his chest.
She said he started vomiting and sweating profusely. He was dead by the time the paramedics arrived.
She was quoted as saying that her husband had emptied out a whole sachet of the drink that day.