FDA Secretary-General Supatra Boonserm told Thai media on Friday that the authorities had warned Hong Thai Herbal to apply for the required permits for those facilities, but this was ignored.
The facilities had been operating illegally for about three years, she said, adding that the FDA will initiate a recall of all unsafe or unlicensed herbal inhalers related to this case.
“The contaminated Hong Thai herbal inhalers found at these four unauthorised facilities come in various formulations and production batches,” said Supatra told The Nation.
“Products made in such illegal sites cannot be guaranteed for safety or quality and may contain hazardous substances harmful to health.”
She urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing herbal products, and check for signs of irregularity or unauthorised labelling.
Thai authorities will also conduct random inspections at pharmacies nationwide to ensure that the recalled products are no longer available for sale.
Thai PBS reported that Hong Thai Herbal founder and owner Thiraphong Rabuetham said the firm had not been contacted by FDA officials about its herbal inhalers. He added that his company had not yet applied for a production licence for one of the raided facilities.
Source: CNA
