KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Food items flavoured with the herbal cough syrup Pei Pa Koa are still good to go in neighbouring Singapore, unlike here in Malaysia.
The SingaporeFood Agency said it has no plans to follow in Malaysia’s footsteps and ban Pei Pa Koa in consumables, which it classifies as Chinese proprietary medicine, news outlet Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported this evening.
“In view of the low levels of each herbal ingredient in the food, Pei Pa Koa-flavoured food products are unlikely to have any food safety issues,” an unnamed representative of the agency was quoted as saying.
According to FMT, the Singapore official said that Chinese herbal materials are often used in small quantities as ingredients or flavourings in various food items, adding that these are also regulated by the republic’s Health Sciences Authority.
Pei Pa Koa, an herbal remedy to soothe sore throats, is produced by Hong Kong company Nin Jiom Group and said to contain honey among other ingredients.
It is also known as Cap Ibu dan Anak in Malaysia, referencing the image of a mother and child in traditional Chinese dress on its packaging, which is said to be an homage to the Hong Kong brand’s story.
Malaysian ice-cream chain Inside Scoop rolled out its Pei Pa Koa flavour on July 30, before removing it from the market a day later after an order from the Health Ministry, which noted that the herbal remedy is registered with the Drug Control Authority as a traditional medicine with contraindications for pregnant women.
The ministry cited Section 13B (2) of the Food Act 1983 as prohibiting the adulteration of edible items with medicines, which constituted an offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of no more than RM20,000, or both upon conviction.