Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday that buyers of Atomy Corp.'s HemoHIM honey drink should stop using it after it was found to contain methoxsalen, a medication that potentially causes liver damage.
The FDA ordered the importer of the South Korean drink to stop selling the product on Nov. 3, following reports that authorities in Hong Kong found it to contain methoxsalen, a medication used for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo.
The FDA said it also found the medication in all 17 samples of the product it tested.
Since methoxsalen can also be found in the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia and other plants, FDA official Cheng Wei-chih (???) told reporters that the agency was still investigating whether the medication came from a natural source or was an artificial additive.
The FDA said it was also still investigating the potential health risks of the drink.
According to Chen, studies showed an overdose of methoxsalen may cause liver damage and other unwanted side effects.
The importer in Taiwan had imported around 1,300 metric tons of the honey drink since 2019, and only has around 20 tons in stocks now, Cheng added.
Suggesting people stop drinking it pending the FDA's investigation, the official said buyers could ask the importer for a refund.
If the investigation concludes that the product does pose health risks, future imports will be banned under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Cheng said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel