Authorities in Zambia have banned an energy drink after laboratory results showed that it contained the active ingredient of the anti-impotence drug Viagra.
In a statement late on Wednesday authorities in the Zambian city of Ndola where the manufacturer is based, ordered “a product recall of natural high energy drink SX”.
Produced by Revin Zambia Limited, Natural Power SX is exported to various African countries including Uganda.
Ndola city spokesperson Tilyenji Mwanza said in the statement that results from Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those from tests conducted in Zambia which indicated “a positive presence of Sildenafil Citrate”.
In December last year, the medicine regulatory authority said that the drink was adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate – a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and dispensed under the brand name Viagra.
Early this year, Uganda’s National Drug Authority (NDA) said it was investigating the energy drink over allegations of causing abnormal erections among men following a complaint from a consumer who reportedly developed an erection that lasted to six hours after taking the drink.
In a December 28 letter and received on January 4, 2019 by Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS),NDA said it is their mandate to ensure availability at all times of essential, efficacious and cost effective drugs to the population, they received a complaint from a consumer about the energy drink.
“Following the complaint, NDA sampled the product (batch number E66C and expiring on 30thAugust 2019) from Mega Standard Supermarket on 30th October 2018 and subjected it to full monograph analysis using a method adopted from USP. The results obtained indicated that the product was adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate,” letter reads in part.
Adding, “This therefore, to share the findings of this anaylsis with UNBS for your further management since NDA does not regulate energy drinks.”
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