A great cup of coffee is imagined to perk you up – though one manufacturer has been accused of taking that concept too far.
A quick coffee mix sold by a Malaysian firm was found by Singapore’s food safety watchdog to contain an erectile dysfunction drug.
Officials warned the product, called Kopi Penumbuk, includes unlisted tadalafil, a prescription drug which might cause severe health complications if misused.
The combination has appeared on online e-commerce platforms and has been advertised on social media outside Malaysia, though it’s not clear if any has reached the UK.
Malay-language posts put it on the market as a ‘guaranteed protected’ coffee which might help to boost male sexual performance.
In most countries tadalafil should be prescribed by a physician with strict guidance on protected usage.
If used incorrectly it could possibly result in a heart attack, stroke, migraine, rapid drop in blood pressure or priapism (a painful, prolonged erection).
Individuals with existing heart conditions are at higher risk, particularly if already taking certain medications.
Singapore has banned the product from its territory and the federal government says it has ‘worked with various online e-commerce platforms to remove listings of the product’.
Officials say they’ve also ‘issued warnings to the respective sellers to refrain from selling the product with immediate effect’, with potential fines of as much as S$5,000 (£2,890) for infractions.
Last yr one other Malaysian quick coffee mix advertised as containing only ‘coffee with chosen and high-quality herbs’ was also found to contain the identical drug.
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