HSA Alert: ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ and ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ Found to Contain Potent Medicinal Ingredients; One Led to Adverse Effects in a Consumer

HSA Alert: ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ and ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ Found to Contain Potent Medicinal Ingredients; One Led to Adverse Effects in a Consumer

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting members of the public not to purchase or consume the two products below. These products may pose serious health risks as they were tested to contain potent medicinal ingredients including a steroid, an antihistamine and high levels of an erectile dysfunction medicine. Details of the two products are:

Please refer to Annex A and Annex B of the pdf version for photos of the products and the possible adverse effects of the medicinal ingredients found in these products.

Consumer experienced adverse effects after taking ‘Lung Tan Tsao’

2        A woman in her 40s experienced weight gain and swelling of the face after taking ‘Lung Tan Tsao’. This product was labelled for the relief of various conditions including eczema, allergies and pain. It was also falsely labelled to contain a variety of natural herbs. The woman had obtained the product from her friend who purchased it in Malaysia. Her doctor became suspicious of the product as it cleared the woman’s eczema as rapidly as a prescription medicine would do.  

3        HSA tested ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ and detected chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine) and dexamethasone (a steroid). These potent medicinal ingredients can cause serious adverse effects when used without medical supervision. Long-term unsupervised use of steroids can cause serious adverse effects including increased blood glucose levels (which may lead to diabetes) and Cushing’s syndrome (a round face or ‘moon face’ appearance and upper body obesity with thin limbs).

High levels of erectile dysfunction medicine detected in ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’

4        Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers from Air Cargo Command detected 15 boxes of ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ in a parcel and referred the case to HSA for further investigation. The product was labelled as “superfood” and “fountain of youth”, and claimed to contain known herbal ingredients such as tongkat ali extract, sky fruit extract and maca powder. It also carried Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and NSF International logos on its packaging. However, HSA tested the product to contain over 50 times the usual daily dose of tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction medicine. When used without medical supervision, tadalafil can increase risk of stroke and heart attack.

5        The misuse of quality certification logos on the product aimed to mislead consumers into thinking that the product is safe and manufactured under high quality standards, but there is no way of verifying if these logos are authentic.

6        Illegal and adulterated products such as ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ can also often resurface under a different name or packaging to evade checks by authorities and trick consumers into buying them. HSA had previously alerted members of the public in September 2017 to a similar product named ‘Candy B+ Complex’, which was also tested to contain tadalafil[1]. Both ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ and Candy B+ Complex’ were labelled to be manufactured by a same manufacturer, California Pure. 

7        Both ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ and ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ have not been detected to be sold in Singapore. If they surface on local e-commerce platforms or are found in physical premises, HSA will not hesitate to take action, which includes working with the website administrators to take down postings of these products online promptly.

Advisory to consumers

8        Consumers are advised to:

• See a doctor as soon as possible if you have taken ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ as it contains a potent steroid. Discontinuation of steroids without proper medical supervision can cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, confusion and low blood pressure.

• Stop taking ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ immediately and consult a doctor if you feel unwell or are concerned about your health.

• Be wary of health products that carry exaggerated claims or deliver unexpectedly quick and miraculous results. Be cautious even if the product appears well-packaged or have logos of international standards printed on them.

• Avoid purchasing health products from unfamiliar sources, and exercise caution when buying such products online or from well-meaning friends. You cannot be certain where and how these products were made. They can contain potent ingredients which can seriously harm your health.

Advisory to sellers and suppliers

9        All sellers and suppliers must stop selling ‘Lung Tan Tsao’ and ‘Candy B+ Coffee Extra Power’ immediately. It is illegal to sell and supply such products which contain potent medicinal 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.

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
27 MAY 2020

Download PDF version here [PDF, 1084 KB]

[1] https://www.hsa.gov.sg/announcements/hsa-seizes-more-than-39-000-units-of-illegal-health-products-containing-banned-substances-with-street-value-of-over-133-000-during-interpol-coordinated-international-operation/