‘Slimming’ coffee vendors warned about processing – MedSafe

By RNZ

Six sellers of a coffee powder marketed as a weight loss product have been told to close the store or face legal proceedings after the beverage was found to contain potentially dangerous levels of phenethylamine.

MedSafe advises consumers to dispose of any Elevacity Elevate Smart Coffee (version 3) powder supply and seek medical advice if they feel unwell.

Compliance manager Derek Fitzgerald told Checkpoint that “pretty mild therapeutic claims” were being made about the product.

“The control drug in it is found in very small amounts in natural coffee, but these products have been fortified if you want.

“It is clear that they are using these therapeutic claims to market the product over regular coffee.”

Fitzgerald said the class C controlled drug contained in the powder could cause reactions such as agitation, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and psychological effects.

He said they had officially warned six distributors in New Zealand, to whom they were shipping the product from abroad.

“As far as we know, at this point, they’ve been complying with that and shutting down that particular part of their business.”

While items that appear to be drugs, such as tablets or ointments, are screened at the border, others may go unnoticed.

“As they get into the post and it looks like a cup of coffee, it could happen. So we advise people not to buy this and that applies to a lot of therapeutic or therapeutic-type products that can be offered online. and coming from abroad, “Fitzgerald said.

“We probably detect around 1000-1200 packages a year that are coming in and containing maybe prescription drugs, for example, or controller drugs.

“They are detained at the border and the person to whom they are consigned has to have a good excuse, for example, a prescription from their doctor … there is a mechanism that will prevent some products from entering the country, that’s for sure.”

It is the second time this week that the watchdog has issued a serious warning about products disguised as drugs; making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims, without evidence and with the risk of significant side effects.

MedSafe dropped the charges against the makers of Arthrem in favor of a deal to stop manufacturing and selling the product, for which they had received warnings since 2016.

“What we have in the background is an update to the Drug Act, which will provide much better mechanisms for taking action, in addition to prosecuting through the courts,” Fitzgerald said.

However, he said that most organizations once warned about a product, they would stop selling it.

“Many in that particular area do not realize that they are breaking the law, some, some do, and they will stop advertising and supplying. Therefore, only very few actually go through the process that we find. I have to process them. “

– RNZ