FDA warns public vs unlabeled herbal products

Health authorities have warned the public against buying unlabeled herbal products, which they said may have harmful effects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the warning in a July 6 advisory placed as an ad in major Metro Manila newspapers. "Ang FDA ay nakatanggap ng mga salaysay o reklamo ukol sa paggamit ng mga PRODUKTONG HERBAL NA WALANG LABEL na nagdulot ng masamang epekto sa tao. Ang publiko ay pinaaalalahanan na mag-ingat at huwag uninom o gumamit ng mga produktong ito (The FDA has received complaints about herbal products without labels. The public is reminded to be wary and not to take such products)," it said in Advisory 2010-007 signed by FDA director Nazarita Tacandong.

It said such unlabeled herbal products are not registered with the FDA and may not have scientific proof of their effectiveness. "Hindi rehistrado sa FDA ang mga produktong herbal na ito kung kaya walang siyentipikong pagsasaliksik at dokumentadong mga patunay na ligtas at epektibo ang paggamit nito," the FDA advisory said. Cosmetic products Meanwhile, Tacandong said the FDA will prepare charges against owners of stores where 11 cosmetics products with high levels of mercury were found. Tacandong said last Friday that they will go after the suppliers through their sales agents. But dealers have so far failed to give the FDA leads on where they got their stocks. "The dealers caught selling those products will face sanctions. We will go after their suppliers as well," she said in Filipino in an interview on dzBB radio. She said their laboratory tests showed the 11 products tested positive for high levels of mercury. "Ito ay nakasusunog ng balat. Ang matagalang paggamit nito ay maaaring maka-damage ng liver (The products can burn skin and may cause damage to the liver after long exposure to it)," she said. — LBG, GMANews.TV