These 4 products were declared unsafe by HSA. Please protect yourself by
- Being wary of health products that promise or deliver quick and miraculous effects, or carry exaggerated claims.
- Avoid purchasing health products from unfamiliar sources overseas, and exercise caution when buying such products online. You cannot be certain where and how these products were made. They could potentially be counterfeits or contain undeclared ingredients which can seriously harm your health.
There were several cases such as
- A woman in her 50s had purchased ‘BB Body’ from an online seller based in Malaysia after coming across an Instagram post of the product. After consuming it for about 3 months, she developed an extremely fast heart rate (ventricular tachycardia), which led to a loss of consciousness, requiring resuscitation to save her life. As a result, she now suffers from severe heart failure and is implanted with a defibrillator (device to regulate heart rhythm). She also requires long term heart failure medications.
- A woman in her 20s first developed palpitations and insomnia, and subsequently had suicidal thoughts, after taking ‘Bello Smaze’ for four days. She had purchased the product directly from a local seller to lose weight. According to the consumer, her friend who recommended the product also experienced palpitations and insomnia.
- A woman in her 30s experienced palpitations after consuming the product ‘Choco Fit’ for 2 days.
- ‘Seahorse Chop Du Zhong Ba Ji Wan’ was reported to cause Cushing’s syndrome in a man in his 40s. He had purchased the product from a medical hall in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and took it for more than 2 months to relieve his arthritis. His condition, characterized by ‘moon’ face, thin limbs, thinning of the skin and easy bruising was caused by dexamethasone, a potent steroid that was fraudulently added into the product. Tests by HSA also found that the product contained chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine for allergic reactions).
Name of product |
Undeclared potent ingredients in the product |
Serious adverse reactions experienced by consumers |
‘BB Body’ |
Sibutramine |
Extremely fast heart rate, leading to a loss in consciousness, and requiring resuscitation. The consumer now suffers from severe heart failure. |
‘Bello Smaze’ |
Sibutramine |
Heart palpitations, insomnia and having suicidal thoughts |
‘Choco Fit’ |
Sibutramine |
Heart palpitations |
‘Seahorse Chop Du Zhong Ba Ji Wan’ |
Dexamethasone Chlorpheniramine Frusemide |
Cushing’s syndrome |
The products were tested by HSA to contain undeclared potent medicinal ingredients, including a banned substance for weight loss and a potent steroid.
‘BB Body’, ‘Bello Smaze’ and ‘Choco Fit’ were marketed on various e-commerce and social media platforms including Instagram and Facebook. They were marketed as having “no side effects” or being able to deliver fast weight loss within days. HSA has directed the administrators of the local online platforms to remove the affected product listings.
Message from HSA
Associate Professor Chan Cheng Leng, Group Director of Health Products Regulation Group, HSA, advises consumers: “Do not fall for claims or promises of quick weight loss when purchasing health products, whether they are sold online or in retail shops. Based on HSA’s enforcement operations, many of the weight loss products sold on e-commerce platforms without an established retail presence were found to contain the banned substance, sibutramine. Sibutramine can cause serious adverse effects such as mood disturbances, hallucinations, heart attacks, and strokes.”
Penalty for selling illegal health products
All sellers and suppliers must stop selling these products immediately. These are illegal products which contain potent medicinal ingredients. Anyone who supplies illegal health products is liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to 3 years and/or fined up to $100,000.
Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of these illegal products may contact HSA's Enforcement Branch at Tel: 6866-3485 during office hours (Monday to Friday) or email: hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.