FDA: Don’t use Eu Yan Sang product; HSA: It’s OK
source: http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/10/10/fda-warns-not-to-use-eu-yan-sang-product-but-hsa-says-ok/
October 10th, 2014 | Author: Editorial
Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) allows slightly higher lead levels in food and health supplements compared to some other countries.
This came to light when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 26 September 2014 warned parents and caregivers not to use “Bo Ying compound” manufactured by Eu Yan Sang Ltd due to a risk of lead poisoning associated with the product.
Indeed, on 4 October 2014 TR Emeritus had warned about its use, albeit in an article in Chinese (美国幼童服保婴丹铅中毒).
The powdered product is marketed in retail outlets and online for use in infants and children for treatment of a variety of conditions including influenza, fever, sneezing, and nasal discharge. The product is labeled in Chinese and English:
美国食品及药物管理局(FDA)接获通报，指一名18个月大婴儿在服用余仁生保婴丹后中铅毒，警告消费者停止服用。(FDA网页图片)
FDA has advised parents and caregivers not to purchase and use this product.
FDA said [Link]:
Exposure to lead can cause serious damage to the central nervous system, the kidneys, and the immune system. In children, chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with impaired cognitive function, including reduced IQ, behavioral difficulties, and other problems.
FDA learned of this risk from the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene after the product was tested and found to contain high levels of lead. FDA has received one adverse event report of lead poisoning in an 18-month-old child who was given this product.
The Bo Ying compound is sold in Singapore by Eu Yan Sang. However, HSA said that Singaporeans should not be concerned.
HSA said that Singapore permits higher levels of lead in health supplements than the United States. For food ingredients, Singapore permits higher levels than, for instance, the European Union (EU):
HSA told the media, “Although different jurisdictions have limits that vary relative to each other, the absolute difference between these limits is actually minimal, due to the scale of measurement in parts per million.”
HSA explained that the lead limits for food are lower than for medicinal products, as “the intake of (these) is expected to be less than food”.
When determining the acceptable limits of heavy metals such as lead in products, various factors, including the type of product, whether it is consumed and the amount used, are considered, said HSA.
Eu Yan Sang also defended itself last week, saying that the FDA wrongly tested the compound as a food additive rather than a supplement.
FDA had found 2.5 parts per million (ppm) of lead in a retail sample of Bo Ying compound, and 16 ppm in a sample provided by Eu Yan Sang.
Professor Ong Choon Nam, a toxicology expert at the NUS School of Public Health, said that the US and EU tend to have stricter standards. But he added it does not mean Singapore’s standards are unsafe.
However, he said, “The science is evolving very rapidly. All countries should review their standards from time to time.”
He suggested that the Singapore government make its existing standards age-specific. Toddlers, for example, would tolerate a much lower dose of lead than an adult.
“Toxicity depends on the dosage and concentration. This has to be considered.”
source: http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/10/10/fda-warns-not-to-use-eu-yan-sang-product-but-hsa-says-ok/
October 10th, 2014 | Author: Editorial
Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) allows slightly higher lead levels in food and health supplements compared to some other countries.
This came to light when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 26 September 2014 warned parents and caregivers not to use “Bo Ying compound” manufactured by Eu Yan Sang Ltd due to a risk of lead poisoning associated with the product.
Indeed, on 4 October 2014 TR Emeritus had warned about its use, albeit in an article in Chinese (美国幼童服保婴丹铅中毒).
The powdered product is marketed in retail outlets and online for use in infants and children for treatment of a variety of conditions including influenza, fever, sneezing, and nasal discharge. The product is labeled in Chinese and English:
美国食品及药物管理局(FDA)接获通报，指一名18个月大婴儿在服用余仁生保婴丹后中铅毒，警告消费者停止服用。(FDA网页图片)
FDA has advised parents and caregivers not to purchase and use this product.
FDA said [Link]:
Exposure to lead can cause serious damage to the central nervous system, the kidneys, and the immune system. In children, chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with impaired cognitive function, including reduced IQ, behavioral difficulties, and other problems.
FDA learned of this risk from the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene after the product was tested and found to contain high levels of lead. FDA has received one adverse event report of lead poisoning in an 18-month-old child who was given this product.
The Bo Ying compound is sold in Singapore by Eu Yan Sang. However, HSA said that Singaporeans should not be concerned.
HSA said that Singapore permits higher levels of lead in health supplements than the United States. For food ingredients, Singapore permits higher levels than, for instance, the European Union (EU):
HSA told the media, “Although different jurisdictions have limits that vary relative to each other, the absolute difference between these limits is actually minimal, due to the scale of measurement in parts per million.”
HSA explained that the lead limits for food are lower than for medicinal products, as “the intake of (these) is expected to be less than food”.
When determining the acceptable limits of heavy metals such as lead in products, various factors, including the type of product, whether it is consumed and the amount used, are considered, said HSA.
Eu Yan Sang also defended itself last week, saying that the FDA wrongly tested the compound as a food additive rather than a supplement.
FDA had found 2.5 parts per million (ppm) of lead in a retail sample of Bo Ying compound, and 16 ppm in a sample provided by Eu Yan Sang.
Professor Ong Choon Nam, a toxicology expert at the NUS School of Public Health, said that the US and EU tend to have stricter standards. But he added it does not mean Singapore’s standards are unsafe.
However, he said, “The science is evolving very rapidly. All countries should review their standards from time to time.”
He suggested that the Singapore government make its existing standards age-specific. Toddlers, for example, would tolerate a much lower dose of lead than an adult.
“Toxicity depends on the dosage and concentration. This has to be considered.”
