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Ministry Recalls Drugs, Dried Fruit
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's Ministry of Health has recalled three traditional medicines and dried fruit products that contain controlled substance, excessive amount of lead and mercury and aerobic microbial count above the permissible limit.

The ministry has informed the public on the possibility of contaminations in 15 dried fruit products of Sunbeam Foods Pty Ltd, Australia.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry informed the public that based on a report from the Drug Control Authority in Singapore, "Jamu Kapsul Gemuk Badan (Fattener) Untuk Pria dan Wanita" was found to contain Cyproheptadine, a substance controlled under the Poisons Act.

Unsupervised consumption of Cyproheptadine may lead to dizziness, lowering of blood pressure, confusion, in-coordination and drowsiness.

The second product, 'Endopile Capsules" with batch number 90-16 has been recalled as it contains an excessive amount of lead and mercury. Mercury poisoning may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea and eventually leading to kidney damage while lead poisoning causes loss of appetite, fatigue, convulsion and may cause permanent brain damage.

The third product, "Poh Kian Brand Pai Fong Wan", with batch number 13014 has also been recalled because it was found to contain Total Aerobic Microbial Count above the permissible limit.

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Members of the public have been advised to surrender if they possess any of these products to the Pharmacy Enforcement Section at block 2G; 7th floor at Ong Sum Ping Health Centre for disposal. For further information, the public can call the enforcement section at 2230036.

The ministry also reminded the public that it is an offence under Poisons Act 1956 to sell any products containing a substance controlled under the Act and the penalty for such an offence upon conviction is $8,000 fine or six months' imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the-ministry informed the public that 15 dried fruit products of the Australian company are most likely to be contaminated with lead and mercury.

The 15 products are: 240gm Sultanas 6 packs (to be used before 3111 Aug 2007), 40gms Sultanas (12th Sept 2007), 150gmsApple & Sultanas 6 packs (16th Sept 07), 25gms Apple & Sultanas (9th June 07), 228gms Peach & Sultanas 6 packs (16th Aug 07) and 252gms Pineapple & Sultanas 6 packs (29th Aug 07).

Others include 42gms Pineapple & Sultanas (15th Apr 07), 222gms Apricot & Sultanas 6 packs (2nd Sept 07), 37gms Apricot & Sultanas (26th June 07), 336gms Fruit on the go Tropicana 6 packs (6th Sept 07), 56gms Fruiton the go Tropicana (20th Oct 06), 300gms Fruit on the go Fruit salad 6 packs (14th Sept 07), 50gms Fruit on the go Fruit salad (8th Sept 07), 330gms Fruit on the go Exotic Fruit salad 6 packs (12th Sept 07) and 1.15gms Sundried Sultanas (Aug 07).

The ministry has urged importers and food retailers to recall the products following information obtained by WHO's International Food Safety Network, based on reports issued by the Australia-New Zealand Food Standard Agency.

The agency stated that Sunbeams Foods Pty Ltd has made a voluntary recall on such products. In view of this, the Ministry of Health has advised importers and retailers to inform the Quality and Food Safety Section of the Health Services Department, of the list and total products that are still available in their stores.

Consumers have been advised not to buy those products or to return them to the shops where they were purchased or surrender them to the Quality and Food Safety Section or health departments in their respective districts.

The ministry -also said that under Section 9 (1) subheading (i) of the Public Health Act (Food) Chapter 182, anyone who provides, sells or imports food that could jeorpadise health is liable to five years' imprisonment or a fine or both upon conviction.

For further information, the public can call the Food Safety and Quality Control Division, of the Health Screening Centre at 2331100-05/06/08/9/10 or fax at 2331107. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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