On May 13, Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company Pharmacity announced the recall of four functional foods manufactured by Herbitech Co., Ltd., including: PMC Blood Activator, PMC Gingko Biloba, PMC Joint Care, and PMC Liver Support.
These products were registered, declared, and distributed by Hoang Giang Saigon Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company. The recall decision comes after Herbitech was investigated by the police for alleged involvement in counterfeit production activities.
In late April, authorities identified two of the company’s products, Baby Shark and Medi Kid Calcium K2, as health protection foods that had been counterfeited. Herbitech’s director, Pham Vu Khiem, and three others have been arrested in connection with the case.
According to Pharmacity’s representative, periodic test results from VNTest Institute of Testing and Quality Assurance and reports from Hoang Giang Saigon showed that the four recalled products met the standards specified in the declaration dossiers approved by the Food Safety Authority (Ministry of Health). However, during the investigation, Pharmacity voluntarily suspended the business of these products to ensure consumer safety.
Customers who have purchased the recalled products can return them to any Pharmacity pharmacy nationwide for a full refund. “The recall and refund are measures to ensure maximum safety for customers,” the company representative said.
Previously, authorities had repeatedly detected large-scale production and trading of counterfeit drugs, milk, and health protection foods. The Ministry of Public Security once dismantled a syndicate that counterfeited 573 brands of milk powder for patients and children, with a revenue of nearly VND 500 billion.
In Thanh Hoa, the local police arrested 14 people involved in a nationwide counterfeit drug syndicate. Some nutritional products for newborns were also found to be counterfeited.
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