Zambian authorities have pulled an energy drink that they say contains Viagra from store shelves following test results from the country’s medicine regulator.
The drink, Natural Power SX High Energy Drink, which comes in 500ml cans and manufactured by Revin Zambia Limited, a local beverage producer is said to contain Sildenafil Citrate, a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction in men and pulmonary arterial hypertension and should never be taken without a prescription.
The drink which is said to be very popular among Zambian men is also exported to neigbouring countries – Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa.
News of the adulterated energy drink first came to light last December when the Uganda National Drug Authority said in a letter dated 28th December, that it made similar findings after a customer complained of constant sweating and a nearly six-hour erection.
“Results from both Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those obtained from the Foods and Drugs Laboratory that indicated a positive presence of Sildenafil Citrate,” the Zambian authorities said in a statement.
The government in Zambia said the ban on further production of the drinks will remain in place until remedial measures are established to stop adulteration.
Malawi also banned the energy drink in January over safety concerns following tests results in Zambia and Uganda. The country’s Bureau of Standards in conjunction with its Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Board released a statement saying the presence of Sildenafil in the drink has severe life-threatening adverse effects on consumers.
Leave a Reply