Marsha Slim Plus

Starting date:

May 17, 2010

Posting date:

May 17, 2010

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Issue:

Undeclared Substance

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-120001474

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This product is not authorized for sale in Canada and has not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible it may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Source of alert

Hong Kong Department of Health

Product name

Marsha Slim Plus

Manufacturer / Place of origin

According to the product label, Marsha Slim Plus is manufactured by Marsha Slimming Consultancy.

Product description

Marsha Slim Plus is promoted for weight loss. It comes packaged in Marsha Health Care Formula packs containing a 60-capsule bottle of Marsha Slim Plus and 30 Marsha teabags.

Reason for warning

The Hong Kong Department of Health warned consumers not to buy or use Marsha Slim Plus after it was found to contain undeclared sibutramine, an unauthorized substance similar to sibutramine and phenolphthalein. Sibutramine is a prescription drug used to treat obesity. It should only be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner. Phenolphthalein was previously used as a laxative but is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because it may cause cancer.  

Possible side effects

Side effects associated with sibutramine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping and constipation.

What you should do

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

• Call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.
• Visit Health Canada's Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax.

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

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