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The Department of Health (DH) today (December 15) urged people not to buy or use three brands of slimming products as they were found to have contained undeclared drug ingredient and analogues that may cause serious side effects.
A spokesman for the department said the concerned products are named as "Kalomee", "Slim Pure" and "Carbohydrate".
He added that samples of these products were obtained from a beauty parlour in Kwai Chung during strengthened market surveillance in October.
Laboratory tests on "Kalomee" today showed the presence of sibutramine and its analogues while the remaining two products were found to have sibutramine analogues.
DH officers inspected the beauty parlour and the supplier this evening. The supplier was instructed to recall the products from the market.
Members of the public may call the supplier's hotline 3106 8258 on matters relating to the recall.
The spokesman said sibutramine was a western drug ingredient used as appetite suppressant for slimming under close medical supervision. The side effects of sibutramine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, symptoms of psychosis, and possibly convulsion. People with heart problems should not take it.
Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, products containing sibutramine must be registered before sale and can be sold only on a doctor's prescription and under supervision of a pharmacist.
He said as the chemical structure of the concerned analogues is similar to sibutramine, they are expected to have the same side effects as sibutramine and pose a similar threat to users.
People who have bought the products are advised not to take it. They are urged to seek advice from their doctors if feeling unwell after consuming the product.
They should destroy the products and dispose of them or submit them to the department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours.
The spokesman said that a balanced diet and exercise were crucial factors in keeping fit and healthy. People who wanted to reduce weight were advised to consult their healthcare professionals first.
Ends/Monday, December 15, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:44
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