HSA Alert: Four Products Found With Potent Or Banned Ingredients; Three Consumers Experienced Adverse Effects With One Hospitalised For Emergency Surgery

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting members of the public not to purchase or use "通脉9骨胶柔Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou", “EZ Empire Be Perfect”, “Re5hape hi Morning” and “Re5hape bye Night” as these four products were tested to contain potent ingredients such as steroids and the banned substance, sibutramine. One consumer was hospitalised for emergency stomach surgery after taking "通脉9骨胶柔Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou", while another experienced steroid-related adverse effects after taking “EZ Empire Be Perfect” and a third had chest pain after taking “Re5hape hi Morning” and “Re5hape bye Night”. 

2        Please refer to Annex A for photos of the products and Annex B of the pdf version for possible adverse effects of the banned or potent ingredients found in the products.

 A consumer underwent emergency surgery after taking "通脉9骨胶柔Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou”

 3        A man in his 50s suffered from a perforated gastric ulcer^[1] requiring emergency surgery after taking "通脉9骨胶柔Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou" daily for about two years to manage his eczema. He also developed symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome, including a round face or “moon face”, thinning of skin and easy skin bruising. This led his doctor to suspect that the product was adulterated. He had purchased the blister packs from a peddler at a coffeeshop in Ang Mo Kio, who had also sold the product to other consumers for joint problems.

 4        HSA tested the product to contain two potent medicinal ingredients, i.e., dexamethasone and piroxicam. HSA also observed that the product had a similar appearance to another product, “Joint-Soft”, which HSA alerted the public in 2014^[2]. “Joint-Soft” contained the same potent ingredients and caused a consumer in his 60s to be hospitalised for internal bleeding.

 “EZ Empire Be Perfect” user suffered steroid side effects

 5        A woman in her 30s purchased “EZ Empire Be Perfect” online via Shopee and took the product daily for about 10 months to help her with weight gain. The product was marketed to “promote healthy weight gain” with natural ingredients such as fruit extracts and vitamins. She experienced increased appetite and gained more than 10 kg after taking the product. She also had a sudden onset of facial rashes and tiredness upon stopping 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. The product was tested to contain two potent medicinal ingredients, cyproheptadine and dexamethasone.

 “Re5hape hi Morning” and “Re5hape bye Night” caused chest pains in consumer

 6        Another woman experienced chest pains after consuming “Re5hape hi Morning” and “Re5hape bye Night”, which she had purchased from a seller on Instagram. Both products were promoted to be taken together as part of a “health sculpting program” to reduce weight and were labelled to contain “all-natural” food extracts and vitamins. However, HSA’s analysis revealed that “Re5hape hi Morning” contained the banned substance, sibutramine, and “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).

 7        HSA also detected sale listings of “Re5hape hi Morning” and “Re5hape bye Night” on Carousell and Shopee, and has worked with the platform administrators to remove the affected listings. 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.

 8        Associate Professor Chan Cheng Leng, Group Director of HSA’s Health Products Regulation Group, cautions, “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."

 Advisory to consumers

9        Consumers are advised to be ALERT when purchasing health products:

• AVOID Dubious Products: Steer clear of products from unknown or unverified sources, especially online - they may contain harmful ingredients.

• LOOK for Reputable Sellers: Only purchase from trusted pharmacies or well-known retailers with an established presence in Singapore.

• EXAMINE Claims: Be cautious and wary of products that claim to have miraculous results or “no side effects”.

• REPORT Suspicious Products: Help protect others by reporting dangerous or dubious products to HSA.

• TRUST Medical Advice: See a doctor immediately if you have used "通脉9骨胶柔Tong Mai 9 Gu Jiao Rou” or "EZ Empire Be Perfect" which contain steroids. Do not stop taking them suddenly as this may cause severe withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, and low blood pressure, especially when these products have been taken for more than a few weeks. Stop taking "Re5hape hi Morning" and "Re5hape bye Night" and seek medical help if unwell.

 10       To find out more about illegal health products that have been detected and tested by HSA to date, consumers may also refer to the illegal health products database accessible at https://www.hsa.gov.sg/illegal-health-products-found-in-singapore.

 Advisory to sellers and suppliers

 11       All sellers and suppliers must stop selling these four products immediately. HSA will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against anyone who sells and supplies products found to be adulterated with potent ingredients. Sellers and suppliers are liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to 2 years and/or fined up to $10,000.

 12       Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of these illegal products may contact HSA’s Enforcement Branch at Tel: 6866-3485 during office hours (Monday to Friday) or email: hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab).

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
25 MARCH 2025

Download PDF version here [PDF, 674 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab)

¹ Perforated gastric ulcer is an open sore that penetrates through the stomach lining to form a hole. A perforated ulcer allows digestive juices and food to leak out of the digestive tract and this requires urgent medical attention.

² HSA Alerts Public to Three Illegal Products Purchased from Overseas which Contain Undeclared Potent Western Medicinal Ingredients