SINGAPORE – The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has instructed local e-commerce platforms to remove listings of three products, which were found to contain potent medicinal ingredients such as a banned weight-loss medicine, a laxative, and erectile dysfunction medicines.
The products, Fercy Dietary Supplement Product, Tanduk Rusa Kuat Lelaki and Mentalk Candy, were sold on multiple local e-commerce platforms, including Shopee and Qoo10.
In a media statement on Thursday, HSA said it has worked closely with the platform administrators to remove the affected listings and issue warnings to the respective sellers.
Fercy Dietary Supplement Product was marketed as a supplement to help control hunger, reduce appetite, and assist in burning fat and slimming down.
HSA’s tests found that it contained high levels of sibutramine, a prescription-only weight-loss medicine that has been banned in Singapore since 2010 because of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke after consumption.
Heart problems and central nervous system disorders, such as psychosis and hallucinations, were other serious health consequences reported after consuming sibutramine.
Fercy Dietary Supplement Product also contained sennosides, a laxative used for relieving constipation. Prolonged use of this ingredient can lead to chronic constipation, fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Additionally, the product was falsely labelled to have “passed GMP audit”, with claims that it was manufactured under high-quality standards certified by quality assurance system Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). HSA said this could have misled consumers into believing that it was safe.
The other two products, Tanduk Rusa Kuat Lelaki and Mentalk Candy, were found to contain high levels of prescription medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction that should be given only under medical supervision.
Tanduk Rusa Kuat Lelaki – marketed as a herbal medicine with aphrodisiac and anti-impotence effects – was found to contain high levels of sildenafil.
Mentalk Candy – packaged as a candy containing only ginseng and coffee – contained amounts of tadalafil up to 57 times higher than the usual prescribed daily dose.
According to HSA, inappropriate use of these substances can increase the risk of serious adverse effects, including heart attack, stroke, headache, migraine, irregular heart rate, and priapism, which refers to painful and exceedingly prolonged erections.
The authority advised consumers to stop taking these products immediately, and to consult a doctor if they felt unwell or were concerned about their health.
HSA added that consumers should refrain from buying products from unknown or unverifiable sources, and exercise caution when buying products online or from overseas.
It noted that adulterated products are often manufactured under poor conditions with no quality control, which could result in different batches of the same product containing different amounts of ingredients and/or different types of adulterants.
“These products may appear well packaged or (are) labelled as certified to meet quality standards, but these are tactics used by unscrupulous manufacturers to falsely claim that the products are safe and of good quality, when in fact they contain potent ingredients which can seriously harm your health,” said HSA.
“If buying online, buy only from reputable pharmacies or retailers’ websites, or those with an established retail presence in Singapore.”
HSA said it will take stern enforcement action against anyone who sells and supplies products found to be adulterated with banned substances or potent ingredients.
Sellers and suppliers are liable to prosecution and, if convicted, may be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.
