2007/1/23 The China Post staff
Taipei City's Department of Health (DOH) yesterday ordered six brands of coffee to be taken off store shelves after finding that the products contained illegal herbal extracts.
The Department of Health found that the coffee contained extracts of what is commonly known as Tongkat Ali, a plant found in Malaysia.
The department's Chiang Yu-mei said that it is not been confirmed whether the plant causes any side effects, adding that it has not yet been evaluated for safe use.
Meanwhile, distributors of the coffee have been ordered to destroy the defective beverages or return them to their manufacturers.
The distributors of the six brands of coffee have been fined NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
Scientifically known as Eurycoma Longifolia, Tongkat Ali is believed by Malaysian locals to be an aphrodisiac.
After receiving a tip last year, officials from the Department of Health found the illegal products after looking through thirty-one markets, supermarkets, and drug stores.
The department also busted a company selling other products containing Tongkat Ali on the Internet.
Chiang said that the source, structure, and manufacturing process of Tongkat Ali is unlike any regular food and urged the public to read the labels whenever purchasing food items.
For further information on food additives, the public is encouraged to go the Department of Health's website http://www.doh.gov.tw
Comment by Dr Rajen M: After all these years, we still have not developed markers to standardise tongkat ali. There has not been a single published clinical trial for this much talked about herb. To the best of my knowledge, only process patents (which are easier to do but are easily beaten and hence have little commercial value) have been taken out thus far. The same goes for other well-known herbs like kacip fatimah. Read full article of Fixing biotech research in Malaysia
Update: Director General of Forest Research Intitute Malaysia: Tongkat Ali never found any toxin substance after 20 years research and has been used for many generation by Sin Chew Daily.
Executive Director of CNI Holdings Bhd: Hope Taiwan's directive would not affect sales volumn in Malaysia
Public listed company that sales Tongkat Ali:
CNI Holding Berhad: Coffee(MLM)
Hai-o
Cosway
Private Company:
Power Root Ali Cafe
Technorati Tag: Malaysia: Biotechnology klse Health Healthcare Tongkat Ali Bursa Malaysia
