Herbal remedy causes lead intoxication in toddler

October 2, 2014

An 18 month old toddler in New York experienced lead poisoning after consuming Eu Yang Sang herbal remedy for colds. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert last Friday on the compound Bo Ying. The Bo Ying compound is used as a remedy for phlegm, vomiting, fevers, colds and coughs in young children. Richard Eu, group Chief Executive Officer of Eu Yan Sang International said in a statement that the compound mentioned the FDA alerts was not a product exported to the US and not for sale in the US.

Exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain, the kidneys and the immune system. Even at low levels of exposure in children, lead can cause cognitive and behavioral problems. The company is clear on their stance that the product was not an American export and that exports to Singapore, Malaysia and China’s Hong Kong are safe. Furthermore, the compound found in the FDA alert was manufactured for the Hong Kong Market.

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) confirmed that a similar product called “Eu Yan Sang Bo Ying Compound” was available for purchase.The herbal remedy available in Malaysia and Singapore is produced by Malaysia’s Weng Li sdn.bhd. Eu Yang Sang Hong Kong’s amount of Bo Ying compound complies with the safety requirements determined by the Hong Kong Department of Health. The product had passed all required tests for safety, including lead content, long term toxicity test, clinical trials, quality and stability.

Hong Kong measures permissible lead levels by micrograms per day. The rest measure the allowed levels in parts per million. The Hong Kong variety exceeds in lead levels by comparison to other countries, including the US and Singapore. Eu states “They measured it as a food, as opposed to being a dietary supplement, and the standards are different even within the US. As a food, it was found to contain excessive lead content, as a dietary supplement, that would not have been the case.”

Source: Channel News Asia
Published: 30 Sep 2014

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