4 food items found to contain banned substances

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on April 30 warned people not to consume four food products claiming to enhance sexual performance in men or offer an effective weight-loss solution.

The products are Loboose High End Super Candy from Germany, Premium Thundercat Super Candy from Russia, Lomie Peach Berries Blossom Fruity Tea from France and Urbanism Candy from Malaysia.

Loboose High End Super Candy and Premium Thundercat Super Candy, which claim to enhance sexual performance in men, contain tadalafil, a prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction.

According to SFA, the medicine should be given only under medical supervision.

Inappropriate use of tadalafil is dangerous and can increase the risk of serious effects, including heart attack, stroke, headache, migraine, irregular heart rate and priapism, where one experiences a painful and exceedingly long erection, the SFA said.

"Tadalafil can also pose serious risks to certain individuals, including those with heart-related problems," SFA added.

"(It) can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure in those who are on heart medications, especially those containing nitrates."

Both Lomie Peach Berries Blossom Fruity Tea and Urbanism Candy, which are marketed as weight-loss products that help to suppress appetite, detoxify, control hunger and accelerate metabolism, contain sibutramine, a substance listed under the Poisons Act. Urbanism Candy also contains sennosides, a medicine used to relieve constipation.

The SFA said sibutramine is a prescription-only weight-loss medicine banned in Singapore since 2010, owing to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Other serious health consequences reported with its use include heart problems and central nervous system disorders like psychosis and hallucinations. Seizures have also been reported with sibutramine, the SFA added.

Meanwhile, one may experience side effects like abdominal pain, spasms, diarrhoea, and low potassium levels in the blood leading to muscle weakness or cramps when consuming sennosides.

In addition, sennosides may result in a lazy bowel, where the bowel muscles become too relaxed, leading to less-frequent bowel emptying, which results in long-term constipation and dehydration.

All four products are sold on online e-commerce platforms, and SFA has worked with the platforms to remove the listings of the products.

SFA has also issued warnings to the respective sellers to stop selling the products with immediate effect.