US dietary supplement found to be plasticiser-tainted

The CFS found a sample of Doctor's Choice - Evening Primrose Oil to contain plasticisers, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP).

Doctor's Choice - Evening Primrose Oil is a dietary supplement imported from the United States,

The Centre for Food Safety called on the public to stop consumption and instructed the trade to immediately stop selling the concerned batch of the particular product.

The sample was collected for testing while CFS conducted surveillance checks at local retail outlets on the five categories of high risk food products such as sports drinks; fruit juice; tea drink; fruit jam/fruit nectar or jelly; and food in tablet, capsule or powder form, and on other relevant food products in response to the plasticiser contamination incident in Taiwan, according to a CFS spokesman.

"Test results showed that the sample contained DEHP at a level of 2.5 parts per million and DBP at a level of 0.86 ppm, exceeding the action levels of 1.5 ppm and 0.3 ppm adopted by the CFS respectively," said the CFS spokesman.

 Even though dietary exposure estimation showed no health concern from consuming the particular product, the spokesman said as a precautionary measure, the CFS had instructed the sole importer, Vita Green Health Products Co, Ltd, to immediately stop the sale and initiate recall of the relevant batch of the product. People should also stop consuming the affected product they have purchased.

The importer indicated to the CFS that product recall is underway.