‘Pharma drugs’ detected: Nearly 20 supplements from US, Japan, NZ banned by Korean regulator
Vinpocetine, bacopa, citicoline, and lycopodium are some examples of pharmaceutical drugs detected.
These ingredients, being regulated as pharmaceutical drugs in South Korea, cannot be used in food supplements, said South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Elsewhere, however, these ingredients could be used as both pharmaceutical drugs or for use in supplements.
Vinpocetine is one such example.
While it is used for treating stroke and dementia, it is also available in certain markets as a dietary supplement to enhance cognition and memory.
The MFDS, on the other hand, has raised concerns on how vinpocetine was known for causing side effects such as headaches, insomnia, miscarriage, or foetal development disorders when overdosed without a professional prescription.
“These ingredients are either prescription drug ingredients that require a doctor's prescription or ingredients that cannot be used as food ingredients,” said the MFDS.
These cases came to light when the MFDS was conducting an inspection of health supplements sold online.
The inspection covered 3,629 products, with information on the product name, manufacturer, presence of hazardous ingredients, and product photos placed under scrutiny.
The aim was to detect the presence of ingredients that fall in the List of Hazardous Foods for Overseas Direct Purchase.
As a result, 19 supplements were found to contain ingredients found in the list.
The MFDS has since requested the Korea Customs Services to withhold customs clearance for these supplements.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission has also been activated to block access of these products to the country’s e-commerce platforms.
The MFDS has cautioned consumers to check the Food Safety Korea website to check information on overseas products and whether hazardous products and ingredients are present.
What products?
Most of the products implicated were from the US, with one each from the UK, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada.
The origin of some of the products were unknown.
Eleven products came from the US, including Brain G-Force by Brain Bean. It contains galantamine which is used for managing Alzheimer disease and other types of dementia – such as difficulty in remembering activities, names, or having poor concentration and judgement.
Vinpocetine was found in Piping Rock Health Products’ Super-Strength Vinpocetine.
The majority – eight products – were banned for containing the botanical Bacopa.
They include Quick Brain Nootropic from Quality Supplements and Vitamins, Nature’s Truth LLC’s Ginkgo Biloba 120mg plus Bacopa, Nootropics Depot’s Bacopa Monnieri, as well as FANCL’s BRAINs.
According to the MFDS, the botanical is a raw material that cannot be used in food in South Korea, as it could cause side effects such as nausea, increased intestinal motility, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Citicoline was the next commonly found substance.
It was found in four products, including Douglas Pharmaceuticals brand Clinicians’ Brain Booster, DaVinci Laboratories’ Citicoline, Long Life Nutri’s Citicoline, and Nordic Naturals’ Focus Support.
Citicoline is a naturally occurring compound produced by the body. It can be used as a pharmaceutical substance for stroke treatment or a food ingredient for its benefits on neurological and ophthalmic health.
The MFDS, however, pointed out that it could cause side effects such as abdominal pain, back pain, blurred vision, constipation, and headache.
