SINGAPORE: Four adultered health products have been flagged by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) after they were found to contain potent medicinal ingredients, including steroids and sibutramine, a banned substance.

HSA on Tuesday (Mar 25) urged the public not to buy or use the following products:

• 通脈9骨膠柔 Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou
• EZ Empire Be Perfect
• Re5hape hi Morning
• Re5hape bye Night

A man was hospitalised for emergency stomach surgery after taking Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou, while another woman experienced steroid-related adverse effects after taking EZ Empire Be Perfect. A third consumer had chest pain after taking Re5hape hi Morning and Re5hape bye Night.

EMERGENCY SURGERY

A man in his 50s took Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou after purchasing the blister packs from a peddler at an Ang Mo Kio coffee shop to manage his eczema. The peddler also sold the product to other consumers for joint problems, said HSA.

After consuming the product daily for about two years, he suffered from a perforated gastric ulcer, which required emergency surgery.

The man also developed Cushing’s syndrome symptoms, including a round face or “moon face”, thinning of the skin, and easy skin bruising, prompting his doctor to suspect that the product was adultered.

HSA found that the product contained two potent medicinal ingredients, including dexamethasone (anti-inflammation) and piroxicam (painkiller).

The authority also observed that the product had a similar appearance to another product, Joint-Soft, which it alerted the public to in 2014.

“Joint-Soft contained the same potent ingredients and caused a consumer in his 60s to be hospitalised for internal bleeding," said HSA.

CUSHING'S SYNDROME, CHEST PAIN 

Two women suffered adverse effects after consuming weight management health products.

One woman in her 30s purchased EZ Empire Be Perfect on online platform Shopee to help with her weight gain, and took the product daily for about 10 months.

"The product was marketed to 'promote healthy weight gain' with natural ingredients such as fruit extracts and vitamins," said HSA.

While the woman experienced an increased appetite and gained more than 10kg after consuming the product, she also had a sudden onset of facial rashes and tiredness once she stopped taking it for three days.

Her doctor suspected that her symptoms were due to Cushing’s syndrome and steroid withdrawal, and reported the case to HSA.

HSA found that the product was tested to contain two potent medicinal ingredients - cyproheptadine (antihistamine) and dexamethasone.

Another woman purchased Re5hape hi Morning and Re5hape bye Night from a seller on Instagram, with both products promoted to be taken together as part of a "health sculpting programme" to reduce weight.

The products were also labelled to contain “all-natural” food extracts and vitamins.

However, HSA found that Re5hape hi Morning contained sibutramine, a banned substance, while Re5hape bye Night contained sennosides, a laxative.

"The products were also falsely labelled with GMP logos, which may mislead consumers into believing that the products are safe and manufactured under high-quality standards certified by Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)," HSA said.

The authority added that both products were also found to be listed on Carousell and Shopee, and has worked with the platform administrators to remove the affected listings.

A check by CNA on Tuesday evening showed that the products had been removed from both platforms.

HSA warned that all sellers and suppliers of the four products must stop selling them immediately.

"HSA will take stronger enforcement actions against sellers who continue to sell or supply products found to be adulterated with banned substances or potent ingredients," it said.

HSA's health products group director Chan Cheng Leng said: "Illegal and adulterated health products often present themselves as containing natural ingredients. However, as seen in these cases, they actually contain potent synthetic ingredients that may cause severe medical complications."

"While HSA conducts surveillance and testing of health products on the market, we urge consumers to be discerning and buy health products only from reputable sources."

"HSA will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against anyone who sells and supplies products found to be adulterated with potent ingredients," said the authority.

If convicted, sellers and suppliers may be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,500), or both.