FDA warns against 3 organic health products

(Updated 6:55 p.m.) The Philippine Food and Drug Administration over the weekend warned the public against three "unregistered" organic health products that claim to cure cancer. In its advisory, the FDA said it had instructed its monitoring teams to coordinate with local government units in seizing the products. Named in the advisory were: - Aro Baro Churo Organic Tea - Aro Guyabano Tea - Aro Baro Churo Guyabano Capsules "These products are not only ineffective and expensive, but they may cause adverse reactions and events, some of which may be life-threatening," it said. GMA News Online tried but failed to get the side of the company behind the said products. The FDA said the three products were being sold and distributed nationwide with claims they were "10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy and that they contain Adriamycin that can kill cancer cells." But verification showed these products were "neither registered as herbal drugs nor as food supplements." Following its findings, the FDA warned the public not to buy these products, or "any food supplements or herbal drug preparations that are not approved by the FDA or any products that claim to cure, treat or mitigate any form of cancer diseases." Meanwhile, the FDA instructed its regional field offices to monitor and check for these products in the market. It also ordered its inspectors to coordinate with local government units to make sure these products do not proliferate in the market. "All unregistered product found in all outlets or in the possession of vendors shall be seized immediately and reports shall submitted to the FDA Legal Support Service Center for appropriated actions," it said. — DVM/KBK, GMA News