The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been asked to revoke registration numbers of 10 dietary supplement brands and penalise manufacturers who include life-threatening chemicals in their products.
As products become more complex, it is hard for consumers to gauge all of the ingredients used to make these products. According to a warning issued by the Foundation of Consumers yesterday, the public should "not believe ads for diet supplements that shows a product carries an FDA number".
The group lodged its petition after a check of weight loss and sexual enhancers revealed many products contain Sibutramine, Sildenafil and Tadalafil.
"These substances are killers," the foundation's secretary-general Saree Aongsomwang said, referring to news reports of victims who have become seriously ill or even died after ingesting products with these ingredients.
She asked why such chemicals are still included in these pills even though they are prohibited. Last year, Sibutramine was also found in food products inspected by the foundation.
In its latest inspection, the 10 brands in question could easily be found on well-known online retail stores.
Three of the 15 weight loss supplements samples sold by Lazada under the S-Line, Chaliew2 and Deli by NQ brands contained Sibutramine.
The substance is used to treat depression but is also known to suppress appetite. The side-effects of Sibutramine range from high blood pressure, stroke, to heart problems, the group's expert Sathaporn Arakwatana warned.
The FDA bans the import and export of products which make use of Sibutramine. Those who violate this law face up to 20 years in jail and/or face a maximum fine of two million baht.
The group also found two other harmful chemicals, Sildenafil and Tadalafil, in seven brands of sexual boosters -- Draco, Plays, Mo Cha, So Kool, OMG, Chu as well as Vitalmax and Vitality Reborn. They can be easily found on Shopee, Watsons, We Mall, and 411estore.