PUTRAJAYA, Aug 22 — The ‘Kopi Pejuang’ product has been found to contain tadalafil, a drug commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction in men.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the use of tadalafil without medical supervision could lead to serious adverse effects such as reduced or lost vision and hearing, a sudden and dangerous drop in blood pressure, and cardiovascular complications such as stroke and heart attack.
“In light of this, all traders, including online sellers who still have stocks of this product, are instructed to immediately cease selling it and to contact the nearest district health office for seizure purposes.
“At the same time, all advertising media, including e-commerce and social media platforms, must stop advertising this product,” it said in a statement today.
MOH added that the product’s label was also found to be non-compliant with the labelling requirements under the Food Regulations 1985, as it lacked the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, rights owner, and importer.
“As such, the product cannot be advertised for sale and must not be sold, as stated under Regulation 9 of the Food Regulations 1985,” said the ministry.
MOH, through the Food Safety and Quality Programme (FSQP), emphasised that food products suspected of being adulterated with scheduled poisons such as sildenafil, tadalafil, sibutramine, dexamethasone, and prednisolone are continuously monitored.
From 2021 until July 2024, a total of 500 samples of coffee from various brands have been analysed for scheduled poison parameters, with seven samples found to contain unauthorised scheduled poisons under the Food Regulations 1985.
Enforcement actions have been taken against the companies and products concerned.
Consumers who have any concerns regarding food safety issues can contact their nearest District Health Office, State Health Department, or visit the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA) website and the Food Safety and Quality Programme (FSQP) Facebook page. — Bernama
