02-Jun-2011 The Department of Health in Hong Kong has ordered the recall of one pharmaceutical product - and backed the recall of five more - because of a risk of contamination with a chemical at the heart of a food safety scandal in Taiwan. Well Tab - a drug for gastric complaints made by Taiwanese firm China Chem and Pharm Co. Ltd - and five products made by Marching Pharmaceutical Ltd may contain ingredients contaminated with the plasticiser DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), according to the DoH. Taiwan initiated an export ban today on various categories of food and beverages which have been affected by the DEHP contamination scandal, including sports drinks, juices, tea drinks, fruit jams, jellies and syrups and supplements in tablet, powder and capsule form. It has been alleged in some quarters that the incident may be a case of economically-motivated adulteration (EMA) in which the chemical was deliberately added to flavouring/clouding ingredients in order to reduce costs. The DoH notice indicates that DEHP was a contaminant in a flavouring agent - imported by Taiwanese company Wei Teh Flavour & Fragance Enterprise Co Ltd - and used in the manufacture of the recalled pharmaceutical products. "DEHP is not used as an active ingredient or an excipient. Its presence in drugs should not be expected," said a spokesman for the DoH. All importers of orally consumed drugs into Hong Kong are required to declare the countries of origin of the flavouring agents used in them. If the flavouring agents come from Taiwan, the importer will have to prove the products are free from DEHP.
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