Chinese medicine with excessive pesticide residues recalled

The Department of Health found a proprietary Chinese medicine named Specific Qingyin Wan to contain excessive pesticide residues.

Detected were excessive amount of residues of three pesticides, namely quintozene, hexachlorocyclohexane and hexachlorobenzene by DH's market surveillance on the product.

Thus it urged the public not to consume this drug.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Fu Wah Medicine Company is the sole wholesaler of the medicine. It is manufactured by a licensed local manufacturer Luen Wing Chinese Medicine Manufacture Company Limited.

Investigation is on-going.

A spokesman for the DH explained that as pesticides may be used for the growth of crude drugs, and residues may still remain in such after cultivation.  Given that excessive amount of the detected pesticides could cause serious adverse effects on human body, such as the nervous system and the liver, the DH has ordered the wholesaler to recall the said product from consumers immediately as a precaution.