Singapore Food Agency detects prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction in candy

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has advised consumers not to purchase or consume the "Kingu Ginseng Candy” as it has been detected to be adulterated with tadalafil, a potent prescription medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction.

The agency said the product, which originated from Malaysia, had been marketed on multiple local e-commerce platforms as a candy with claims of male sexual enhancement effects.

"SFA has worked with various online e-commerce platforms to remove the listings of the product and issued warnings to the respective sellers to refrain from selling the product with immediate effect.

"SFA will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against anyone who sells and supplies food products that are found to be adulterated with banned substances or potent ingredients as these would be unsafe food,” the agency said in a statement Friday.

SFA said tadalafil should only be given under medical supervision and its inappropriate use is dangerous and can increase the risk of serious adverse effects, including heart attack, stroke, headache, migraine, irregular heart rate and priapism (painful and exceedingly long erections).

It said tadalafil can also pose serious risks to certain individuals, including those with heart-related problems as well as can cause potentially life-threatening low blood pressure in those who are on heart medications, especially those containing nitrates.

The sale of unsafe food is not permitted under Section 15 of Singapore's Sale of Food Act.

If found guilty, any person who contravenes any of the provisions of the Act can be fined not exceeding S$5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding S$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both. - BERNAMA