Consumers' Foundation tests Chinese medicines of unknown origin: mercury exceeds the standard by 10,000 times, 20% contain Western drugs

Chinese medicines of unknown origin in "concentrated dosage forms," including pills and powders, were found to contain heavy metal mercury exceeding the standard by 10,000 times! Ling Yongjian, chief inspector of the Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei, pointed out that last year, when accepting consumer commissions to test Chinese medicines of unknown origin, among the 57 samples tested for heavy metal content, two exceeded the standard, with heavy metal mercury levels of 6,400 ppm and 2,500 ppm respectively, far exceeding the normal standard of 0.5 ppm.

However, Chinese medicines obtained through legal channels, such as traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine clinics, pharmacies, and Chinese herbal medicine shops, all met the standards. All 23 samples tested for the presence of Western drugs showed no detection, and all 40 samples tested for heavy metals also met the standards. Hu Fengbin, president of Consumer Reports magazine, said, "The Chinese medicines that people obtain from domestic traditional Chinese medicine hospitals all comply with regulations and have no problems whatsoever."

Chinese medicines of unknown origin: failure rate reaches 20%

The Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei, held a press conference on the 13th titled "Western drugs and heavy metal mercury detected in Chinese medicines of unknown origin," announcing the test results for Chinese medicines of unknown origin. Among the 57 samples tested for heavy metals, two exceeded the standard; among the 30 samples tested for whether they contained Western drugs, six were found to contain Western drugs.

Ling Yongjian pointed out that the Consumers' Foundation accepts consumer commissions every year to test Chinese medicines, divided into those obtained from qualified traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and those from unknown-source channels, testing whether heavy metals exceed the standard and whether they contain Western drug ingredients. Unknown-source channels include underground radio stations, night markets, items brought back from abroad, and friends and relatives.