Taipei DOH orders coffee with Tongkat Ali taken off shelves

China Post: Taipei City's Department of Health (DOH) yesterday ordered six brands of coffee to be taken off store shelves after finding that the products contained illegal herbal extracts.
The Department of Health found that the coffee contained extracts of what is commonly known as Tongkat Ali, a plant found in Malaysia.
The department's Chiang Yu-mei said that it is not been confirmed whether the plant causes any side effects, adding that it has not yet been evaluated for safe use.
Meanwhile, distributors of the coffee have been ordered to destroy the defective beverages or return them to their manufacturers.
The distributors of the six brands of coffee have been fined NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
Scientifically known as Eurycoma Longifolia, Tongkat Ali is believed by Malaysian locals to be an aphrodisiac.
After receiving a tip last year, officials from the Department of Health found the illegal products after looking through thirty-one markets, supermarkets, and drug stores.
The department also busted a company selling other products containing Tongkat Ali on the Internet.
Chiang said that the source, structure, and manufacturing process of Tongkat Ali is unlike any regular food and urged the public to read the labels whenever purchasing food items.
For further information on food additives, the public is encouraged to go the Department of Health's website www.doh.gov.tw