Dietary supplements containing Viagra-like stimulants recalled

The Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health has just decided to recall the product Avena plus because it contains sildenafil, a new drug banned from use in functional foods.

This is a product of Canoves Vietnam Import-Export Trading and Investment Company (Hanoi). The recalled Avena health food has lot number 010316, production date March 2, 2016, expiration date March 1, 2019.

The results of the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene's sample testing showed that the product contained the banned substance sildenafil. Therefore, the Food Safety Department requested to temporarily suspend the circulation of the product with the above batch number. The company is responsible for implementing measures to handle and recall the product within 10 days and send a report to the Department.

The Department also requested the company to provide relevant information for the unqualified batch, including: the quantity of goods of the same batch that have been produced, circulated, stocked and recalled as of the date of submitting the report.

Sildenafil is an active ingredient in Viagra, a new drug used to treat impotence and erectile dysfunction. As a medicine, it is used according to a doctor's prescription, with a certain dosage and content. Sildenafil is added by some manufacturers to functional foods advertised as kidney tonics, even though it is banned.

Recently, the authorities discovered the active ingredient vardenafil, a new drug banned from use in functional foods. This is an active ingredient similar to Viagra, classified as aphrodisiac, also prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. If using too much vardenafil will be extremely harmful, especially for people with cardiovascular disease, there is a risk of increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to other organs.

According to VNE