"24" ince, Light Some, Paiyouji, Pearl White Slimming, Reducing Weight Easily

Foreign Product Alert
2009-110
June 29, 2009
For immediate release

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use the following products specified below due to concerns about possible side-effects. More info

Source of Alert: Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products
Product Names: 24" ince, Light Some, Paiyouji, Pearl White Slimming, Reducing Weight Easily
Manufacturer / Place of Origin: Reducing Weight Easily is manufactured by Shanghai Chongming Sitai Corporation.

According to the Swissmedic alert, while the manufacturers of the products 24" ince, Light Some, Pearl White Slimming and Reducing Weight Easily are unknown, the products originate from Asia. The manufacturer/origin of Paiyouji is unknown.

Product Description
The five products listed above are promoted as herbal products used for weight loss.

24" ince:

Reducing Weight Easily "Chinese herbal capsules":

Reason for Warning
Swissmedic warned consumers not to buy or use the five products listed above after they were found to contain undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients and/or excessive levels of heavy metals, as follows:

• 24" ince and Light Some contained sibutramine.
• Pearl White Slimming contained sibutramine and phenolphthalein.
• Reducing Weight Easily contained sibutramine, phenolphthalein and lead, which is a heavy metal, at a level above Swissmedic's tolerance limits. The levels exceed Canadian tolerance limits as well.

Swissmedic's alert also includes a list of adulterated products that have been identified by foreign regulators since the beginning of 2008. Among others, this list includes the tea product Paiyouji. As per an alert from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Paiyouji was adulterated with sibutramine and phenolphthalein. Health Canada has issued Foreign Product Alerts for all other products named in the Swissmedic alert.

Sibutramine is a prescription drug used to treat obesity. It should only be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

Phenolphthalein was previously used as a laxative but is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because it may cause cancer.

Ingestion of excessive amounts of heavy metals, such as lead, poses serious health risks because they may accumulate in vital organs of the body. Children are most susceptible to the toxic effects of heavy metals.

Possible Side-Effects
Side-effects associated with sibutramine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping and constipation.

In addition to an increased risk of cancer, side-effects associated with phenolphthalein include decreased blood pressure, skin rash and gastrointestinal bleeding.

The toxic effects of lead include abdominal pain, anemia, changes in blood pressure, reproductive disorders such as miscarriage, weakness, concentration problems, weight loss, insomnia, dizziness, and kidney and brain damage.

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Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

For more details on these Foreign Product Alerts, please visit the Health Canada Web site.

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These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the products listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

For more information about the information contained in this advisory, please contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991 or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.