Update – Warning about supposedly herbal products

Recently, an increasing number of supposedly herbal teas, herbal capsules and natural liquid concentrates have been available for sale online and on social media for purposes including weight loss or to treat erectile dysfunction. Some consumers have suffered severe side effects after using certain products.

Analysis of various samples in the Swissmedic laboratory revealed that certain products – contrary to the declaration on the packaging – are not purely herbal or natural.

The individual samples instead contained various undeclared synthetic pharmaceutical substances in a pharmacologically active dosage or even massive overdosage.

Swissmedic is issuing an urgent warning regarding slimming products and other supposedly natural products, particularly from Asia, that are marketed in the form of tea, instant drinks or “natural” capsules. As a general rule, it warns against obtaining any medicinal products or medical devices from unknown sources on the internet or from social networks.

Examples of products in which Swissmedic detected undeclared ingredients with a pharmacological effect in the samples tested: