Banned diet products still widely available

By THE NATION

 

 

A SURVEY by the Foundation for Consumers (FFC) has found the appetite suppressant Sibutramine and antidepressant Fluoxetine (Prozac) in six weight-loss products, despite both substances having been banned from use in food supplements.

 

The FFC has urged four online stores – Lazada, C mart, 11 street, and Shopee – that permit sale of the products to be more socially responsible. 

 

The FFC’s Chaladsue (Smart Buyer) magazine conducted its February-March survey on 16 target products bought from eight online stores – Lazada, C mart, 11 street, Shopee, Shop at 24, We mall, Watsons, and Konvy.

 

The Chaladsue testing centre then analysed all the samples, explained the foundation’s health-product expert Sathaporn Arakwattana.

 

They found that six of the products – AIKA, Minimal by Falonfon, S-Line, LYN, L-Fin by Luk-Sam-Rong and Kalo – sold at the four online stores contained Sibutramine and Fluoxetine, which were prohibited from food supplement products, she said. 

 

The FFC on June 10 conducted follow-up visits to Lazada, C mart, 11 street, and Shopee and found the problematic products were still on sale, added Sathaporn.

 

The FFC was especially concerned that LYN products were still sold on the four websites despite facing legal action after being linked to four dieters’ deaths. The LYN products allegedly contain Sibutramine, which has been banned in many countries after being associated with increased risk of heart problems and stroke. 

 

Sathaporn urged the FDA and related authorities to act and called on the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to enforce the Computer Crimes Act to punish those who allowed the input of illegal content with a maximum five-year jail term, Bt100,000 fine, or both. 

 

Sathaporn added that there was currently no way for consumers to verify a food supplement product’s claims to be body-slimming, skin-whitening or beautifying, while promotion by attractive celebrities often convinced them to buy. She also urged the FDA to allow consumers access to its Health Product Database so they could check products advertised.

 

FFC secretary-general and Chaladsue magazine editor Saree Ongsomwang called for the four online retailers to minimise the hazard to consumers by immediately removing the problematic products, checking whether new products were on the FDA’s “banned” list before selling them, and to quickly remove any product the FDA announced as illegal.

 

Saree also said that the online companies must provide refunds to consumers who had bought the illegal products, or else face severe punishment by authorities.

 

Saree also called for authorities to quickly implement their upgrading of Sibutramine to a narcotic with a total ban on import, export and distribution. If the upgrade were implemented, the importing or exporting of Sibutramine is punishable by 5-20 years in jail and a Bt500,000-Bt2 million fine while those caught selling it face 4-20 years in jail and a Bt400,000-Bt2 million fine.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347495

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-6-11

18 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Banned diet products still widely available

 

Who would have expected something different, knowing the lack of any kind of law enforcement in Thailand

8 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

 

Who would have expected something different, knowing the lack of any kind of law enforcement in Thailand

 True.. and those who bought the stuff for resale can't exchange their products back to money as the producing company does not allow that. So they try to sell them on so they wont suffer the loss. The producing company should be forced to compensate resellers and others.

They should be allowed to name the products. Just naming the banned ingredients is a waste of time as Thais never read the package or what they contain 

11 hours ago, robblok said:

 True.. and those who bought the stuff for resale can't exchange their products back to money as the producing company does not allow that. So they try to sell them on so they wont suffer the loss. The producing company should be forced to compensate resellers and others.

 

And the resellers should have a moral conscience, should show some ethical responsibilities and not sell the products, and should sue the manufacturers and master distributors

 

.

10 hours ago, johncat1 said:

They should be allowed to name the products. Just naming the banned ingredients is a waste of time as Thais never read the package or what they contain 

Quote from OP:

 

"They found that six of the products – AIKA, Minimal by Falonfon, S-Line, LYN, L-Fin by Luk-Sam-Rong and Kalo – sold at the four online stores contained Sibutramine and Fluoxetine, which were prohibited from food supplement products, she said. "

 

 

43 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

And the resellers should have a moral conscience, should show some ethical responsibilities and not sell the products, and should sue the manufacturers and master distributors

 

.

Good point, but only those with deep pockets and full bellies can afford such luxuries as moral conscience and ethics. 

As long as there are no consequences for their actions, people will continue to act in a way that suits them. It's human nature. 

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

And the resellers should have a moral conscience, should show some ethical responsibilities and not sell the products, and should sue the manufacturers and master distributors

 

.

Yes they should but the producer has the advantage and the government is not doing a thing to help the resellers. I agree that they should sue the manufacturers but they will probably not win. So they would have to take the hit, that is not fair. Just like its unfair for them to keep selling the stuff. That is Thailand for you because of bad laws it keeps going on.

On 6/11/2018 at 7:09 PM, snoop1130 said:

The FFC has urged four online stores – Lazada, C mart, 11 street, and Shopee – that permit sale of the products to be more socially responsible. 

 

On 6/11/2018 at 7:09 PM, snoop1130 said:

both substances having been banned from use in food supplements

Does this mean that being "socially responsible" supersedes that which is a criminal violation? 

 

If the government knowingly allows the sale of banned substances, it too violates the law and should be investigated for abuse of power. The government by knowingly not enforcing the ban also makes itself complicit to any injury or death caused or exacerbated by the banned substances; and to any demand for compensation. Sure Prayut might invoke Article 44 to avoid accountability but that presents a negative perspective for someone who wants to become an elected PM.

On 6/11/2018 at 5:09 AM, snoop1130 said:

Banned diet products still widely available

As well as guns, drugs and sex.......