2 health ‘candies’ found to contain erectile dysfunction drug that could lead to death

SINGAPORE — Two candy brands sold online have been found to contain “very high levels” of an undeclared potent erectile dysfunction medicine that if consumed, could lead to heart attacks, strokes, vision and hearing loss, or even death.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) issued the advisory on Tuesday (Feb 26) after it found more than 30 times the usual prescribed dosage of tadalafil in the two products, Hickel and Solomon Island Soloco Traditional Candy.

Tadalafil is a potent prescription medicine used to treat male erectile dysfunction and the HSA warned that it should only be used under medical supervision.

For instance, if consumed together with heart medication such as nitrates, the drug could potentially cause life-threatening low blood pressure, which could lead to death.

The authority said the products had been advertised online on various local e-commerce websites and social media platforms — including Facebook — to be “100 per cent natural” and made with a “pure plant formula” that would have “no side effects” after consumption.

“(These products) exaggerated claims to improve cardiovascular and kidney health, diabetic conditions, vitality, fertility and immunity,” said the HSA.

Members of the public should be wary of promised “miraculous effects”, as such products may contain undeclared potent ingredients or prescription medicines that could cause serious harm instead, added the authority.

Consumers of the product should consult a doctor if they feel unwell, said the HSA. It also warned all sellers and suppliers of the products to stop doing so immediately.

Both candy products were promoted to be “better than Candy B”, a similar illegal product that was seized and tested by the HSA in 2017 and found to contain tadalafil.

The products were also marketed in a manner to mislead consumers into thinking that they were candies that were of “safe and of good quality”, said the HSA. Both products were also packaged individually in “attractive wrappers” that were placed inside tin containers or boxes.

Furthermore, these containers also bore nutritional information and food or quality certification marks that were similar to the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency logo and the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) logo.

The Soloco boxes also came with a QR verification code for authenticity checks, said the HSA.

While the authority did not reveal which local online platforms were selling the products, it said that it would be working with the relevant administrators to remove these listings.

The HSA said that in December last year, a Mediacorp journalist had informed them about Hickel, while officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority had found Soloco on a 29-year-old Malaysian woman who had tried to bring it into Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Any individual who supplies illegal health products is liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to 3 years and/or fined up to S$100,000, said the HSA.