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The Department of Health (DH) today (February 22) instructed Wing Yeung Tong Medicine Manufactory, the registration holder of a proprietary Chinese medicine (pCm), namely Naturherbao Herbal Tea (registration number: HKP-14234), to recall from consumers a batch of Naturherbao Herbal Tea (batch number: GMT1301), as its microbial limit exceeded the registration criteria set out by the Chinese Medicines Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.
The recall follows the DH's market surveillance which revealed that the aforementioned batch of pCm was found to have a total bacterial count of 26 000 per gram, which was about 2.6 times the registration criteria.
"Preliminary investigation showed that the pCm was manufactured by Wing Yeung Tong. The investigation also revealed that Naturherbao Herbal Tea shared the same formula with four other pCms, namely Bio-Herb Health Tea (registration number: HKP-14230), Natural Bio-Herb Herbal Tea (registration number: HKP-14231), Fung Bio-Herb Flu-tea (registration number: HKP-14232) and Fung Bio-Herb Cold Remedy (registration number: HKP-14233), and all were also manufactured by Wing Yeung Tong. As a precautionary measure, Wing Yeung Tong has also voluntarily recalled all batches of the above-mentioned pCms from consumers. The manufacturer has set up a telephone hotline (2456 3380) to answer public enquiries," a DH spokesman explained.
According to the products' labels, all the products are used for treating cough and cold. Investigation is ongoing. So far, no adverse reports related to use of the pCms have been received by the DH.
"Members of the public who have used these pCms and are feeling unwell should seek advice from their health-care professionals. They should stop using them and surrender the pCms in hand to the DH's office at 16/F, AIA Kowloon Tower, Landmark East, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, February 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 21:03
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