Don’t put your health at risk

Stay vigilant: A person looking at possibly fake supplements on an ecommerce platform. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

\ Fake health supplements slip through on ecommerce platforms

PETALING JAYA: Don’t jump for joy if your usual supplements are being sold at knockdown prices on ecommerce websites, because they could be fake or counterfeits that could pose a health risk.

A check on these ecommerce websites revealed that many commonly used supplements are being sold at dirt-cheap prices of up to 70% cheaper by overseas sellers.

The “bogus” supplements bear the real brands and existing labels from the United States, United Kingdom or Australia, which are not that common in Malaysian .

ALSO READ: Suspicious supplements have consumers on high alert

They include popularly consumed supplements like multivitamins and those for joint health, heart health, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, antioxidants, probiotics and enzymes.

Buyers are, however, unable to view or verify where these sellers are based.

From the parcel delivery label and information, the products seem to have come from overseas with the parcels delivered through a shipping and consolidating company based in Selangor.

ALSO READ: ‘Ecommerce sites should be held accountable’

While many Malaysians have purchased these products from such sellers, some noticed differences between the original product in terms of product label, design and packaging, and the actual supplement’s look, form and smell.

Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG) Kuala Lumpur and Selangor chairman Rachel Gan said the cheap pricing does not “make sense.”

“It’s quite impossible for these supplements to go so cheap,” she said in an interview.

Questioning the content of such products, she said they could be made with powders used as “filler.”

“But the concern is that they could be made of something else that is unknown and which could damage your kidneys or liver in the long run,” said Gan.

MCPG president Foon Hwei Foong said these products could have been adulterated with unknown substances that could be dangerous to a person’s health. 

 Finding out what these substances are poses another challenge as it is costly to do so, said Gan, adding that consumers who suspect something amiss could send the supplement to a lab to test its ingredients.

“It may cost a few thousand ringgit. That’s why consumers usually don’t bother and just throw the products away since they spent so little to buy them in the first place,” she said.

She added that consumers were likely to only take action when their health is affected.

Despite existing laws and controls to ensure the safety of medicines and supplements in the market, Gan said the emergence of online sellers poses a challenge.

“Any sellers, either from Malaysia or overseas, are allowed to sell online, offering all kinds of unregistered products.

“It could be any overseas brand and the products can pass through Customs checks and reach Malaysian consumers.an let it go through.

“This sounds scary as any supplement can come into Malaysia without being regulated. Online platforms also do not control who can sell what, and they don’t filter what products are on their platforms,” she said.

Gan said a concerted effort from several ministries and agencies is needed for greater enforcement to stop fake supplements from reaching consumers.

For example, she said the Health Ministry can tighten its rules and enforcement through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), while the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) can require ecommerce platforms to filter their sellers and products, requiring them to have authorisation letters from the concerned brands or the Customs Department.

“The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry could also play its part in creating awareness among online consumers,” she said.

Gan noted that the NPRA required all medicines, cosmetics and supplement products sold in the Malaysian market to be registered with the Health Ministry.

“The registered products will have a hologram sticker on the item and a registration number beginning with MAL issued by the Health Ministry.

“Consumers can run a check on the hologram by using the FarmaChecker app,” she added.

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Don’t put your health at risk

Stay vigilant: A person looking at possibly fake supplements on an ecommerce platform. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

\ Fake health supplements slip through on ecommerce platforms

PETALING JAYA: Don’t jump for joy if your usual supplements are being sold at knockdown prices on ecommerce websites, because they could be fake or counterfeits that could pose a health risk.

A check on these ecommerce websites revealed that many commonly used supplements are being sold at dirt-cheap prices of up to 70% cheaper by overseas sellers.

The “bogus” supplements bear the real brands and existing labels from the United States, United Kingdom or Australia, which are not that common in Malaysian .

ALSO READ: Suspicious supplements have consumers on high alert

They include popularly consumed supplements like multivitamins and those for joint health, heart health, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, antioxidants, probiotics and enzymes.

Buyers are, however, unable to view or verify where these sellers are based.

From the parcel delivery label and information, the products seem to have come from overseas with the parcels delivered through a shipping and consolidating company based in Selangor.

ALSO READ: ‘Ecommerce sites should be held accountable’

While many Malaysians have purchased these products from such sellers, some noticed differences between the original product in terms of product label, design and packaging, and the actual supplement’s look, form and smell.

Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG) Kuala Lumpur and Selangor chairman Rachel Gan said the cheap pricing does not “make sense.”

“It’s quite impossible for these supplements to go so cheap,” she said in an interview.

Questioning the content of such products, she said they could be made with powders used as “filler.”

“But the concern is that they could be made of something else that is unknown and which could damage your kidneys or liver in the long run,” said Gan.

MCPG president Foon Hwei Foong said these products could have been adulterated with unknown substances that could be dangerous to a person’s health. 

 Finding out what these substances are poses another challenge as it is costly to do so, said Gan, adding that consumers who suspect something amiss could send the supplement to a lab to test its ingredients.

“It may cost a few thousand ringgit. That’s why consumers usually don’t bother and just throw the products away since they spent so little to buy them in the first place,” she said.

She added that consumers were likely to only take action when their health is affected.

Despite existing laws and controls to ensure the safety of medicines and supplements in the market, Gan said the emergence of online sellers poses a challenge.

“Any sellers, either from Malaysia or overseas, are allowed to sell online, offering all kinds of unregistered products.

“It could be any overseas brand and the products can pass through Customs checks and reach Malaysian consumers.an let it go through.

“This sounds scary as any supplement can come into Malaysia without being regulated. Online platforms also do not control who can sell what, and they don’t filter what products are on their platforms,” she said.

Gan said a concerted effort from several ministries and agencies is needed for greater enforcement to stop fake supplements from reaching consumers.

For example, she said the Health Ministry can tighten its rules and enforcement through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), while the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) can require ecommerce platforms to filter their sellers and products, requiring them to have authorisation letters from the concerned brands or the Customs Department.

“The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry could also play its part in creating awareness among online consumers,” she said.

Gan noted that the NPRA required all medicines, cosmetics and supplement products sold in the Malaysian market to be registered with the Health Ministry.

“The registered products will have a hologram sticker on the item and a registration number beginning with MAL issued by the Health Ministry.

“Consumers can run a check on the hologram by using the FarmaChecker app,” she added.

Source link

Related stories:

Suspicious supplements have consumers on high alert (Poll Inside)

‘Ecommerce sites should be held accountable’

Related posts:

How Metadichol® Can Transform Your Health and Wellness ?

Containing China through an economic war is a terrible and naïve idea: Jeffrey Sachs, To save our planet we must have the accountability of all for the Common Good" Common Good"

 

Jeffrey Sachs: "To save our planet we must have the accountability of all for the Common Good" Common Good"

Drying planet: A villager protecting himself from the sun as he walks over parched land on the outs 

kirts of Bhubaneswar, India. The Earth is warmer now than it has been in 125,000 years. — AP

Paying for the 'sins' of politicians

Containing China through an economic war is a terrible and naïve idea: Jeffrey Sachs

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

Editor's Note:

The 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is underway in San Francisco. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden will meet during the event, which has already attracted great attention from worldwide. Will it become a turning point of the China-US relationship? How will the US' sanctions on Chinese companies affect the sentiment at the summit? Jeffrey Sachs (Sachs), a world-renowned American economist, shared his insights on these questions. In an exclusive interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Zixuan, Sachs explained why he is confident in China's economy, and stressed that the US foreign policy toward China in recent years has been ineffective, misguided and crisis-provoking.

GT: The San Francisco summit has been regarded as a chance to ease China-US tensions. How do you think this summit may affect the China-US relationship?

Sachs: The Biden administration may be looking for an easing of tensions at this stage, since the US situation is not good. The US now is enmeshed in two dangerous and costly wars, in Ukraine and in Gaza. In neither situation is the US ally (Ukraine, Israel) in good shape. The US itself is deeply divided politically, and is entering the frenetic period of an election year. The president is unpopular. All of this means that both foreign and domestic tensions are very high, so the US may therefore choose to ease the China-US tensions. This would be highly desirable, as the US foreign policy toward China in recent years has been negative, ineffective, misguided and crisis-provoking.

GT: The US has imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese companies several weeks before the summit. Some are concerned that the summit may be tainted with political sentiments. What's your take?

Sachs:: The US should agree with China to end this pattern of unilateral sanctions, and to negotiate the withdrawal of these sanctions. In my view, the US trade and technology policies have been self-defeating, unsuccessful, and very often in violation of WTO principles. The US should agree with China that major bilateral trade, technology and financial measures will be negotiated in the future, and in compliance with international rules, rather than imposed unilaterally without prior negotiation or consultation, and in violation of WTO standards.

GT: In your recent article, you mentioned that "Western press is filled with China's supposed misdeeds... Yet much of the slowdown is the result of US measures that aim to slow China's growth." Why are you confident in China's economy? Why did you say the policy of containing China will backfire on the US? 

 Sachs: China is not in a "middle-income trap," as is widely portrayed in the Western media. The whole idea is ridiculous in my view. A middle-income trap is caused by a failure of a country to climb the technology ladder, as in many Latin American countries in past decades. By contrast, China is making huge advances in 21st-century technologies, and China is a high-quality, low-cost global producer of many of the key cutting-edge technologies, such as 5G, fast rail, large hydropower, long-distance power transmission, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, advanced computers, to name a few. 

 GT: Some have said that the US economy has been impeded by political dysfunction, and the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) didn't perform well. However, many countries have recognized the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as a success. What is the fundamental reason for this situation? What's the key to achieving a win-win result for both China and the US?

Sachs: China is a high-saving country with a successful record of modern infrastructure investment, including thousands of kilometers of fast inter-city rail, 5G, long-distance power transmission, among others. The BRI aims to make these technologies available to China's trade partners, which is a win-win proposition. The US is a low-saving country which has not modernized much of its infrastructure in decades, for example, there is no fast rail, and EVs constitute a small proportion of new car sales. Also, the US political system is not very much interested in the low-income developing countries, whereas China is. And it also has practical experience and technologies to share with them. The US and EU should aim to cooperate with the BRI, for example in ASEAN countries and in Africa.

GT: APEC is an important organization for multilateral economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the intensifying tensions, what positive role will the APEC meeting play in the economy and development of the Asia-Pacific region?

Sachs: If China and the US announce a return to cooperation, not only APEC countries but the entire world will breathe a huge sigh of relief. The US has caused these tensions with the idea of engaging in an economic war to "contain" China. This was a terrible and naïve idea. I hope that the US is ready to drop it, but this is clearly unlikely. There are still many US politicians that have a naïve, poorly informed anti-China attitude. Biden should now use the APEC meeting to end the dangerous and misguided US policies of recent years.

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China-US San Francisco summit concludes, agreeing on enhancing cooperation on AI and resuming military communication

China-US San Francisco summit concludes, agreeing on enhancing cooperation on AI and resuming military communication

President Xi (L) meets with President Biden at Filoli Estate in San Francisco, November 15, 2023. /Xinhua

Live updates: China-U.S. summit meeting in San Francisco

https://twitter.com/i/status/1725024393179668621

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden for a summit at the Filoli estate in the south of San Francisco on Wednesday local time. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic, overarching, and directional issues concerning China-US relations, as well as major issues concerning world peace and development.

The two sides agreed to promote and strengthen dialogue and cooperation in various fields, including establishing an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence, setting up a China-US drug control cooperation working group to carry out anti-drug cooperation, resuming high-level military-to-military communication, China-US defense department working meetings, China-US military maritime security consultation mechanism meetings based on equality and respect, and conducting China-US military regional leaders' conversations.

They also agreed to significantly increase flights early next year, expanding exchanges in education, international students, youth, culture, sports, and business circles, among others.

The meeting began around 11 am on Wednesday and concluded at 1:35 pm local time, lasting for approximately two hours, according to media reports.

Following opening remarks, several sessions, and a working lunch, the two leaders closed out with a walk around the historic estate south of San Francisco, as reported by CNN.

During the meeting, Xi pointed out that the world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, and China and the US have two choices: one is to strengthen unity and cooperation, join hands to meet global challenges, and promote world security and prosperity. The other is to hold a zero-sum mindset, provoke bloc confrontation, and let the world head toward turmoil and division.

These two choices represent two different directions and will determine the future of humanity and the planet. As the most important bilateral relationship in the world, China-US relations should be considered and planned against this grand backdrop, he said.

China and the US cannot turn back against each other and it is unrealistic to try to change the other, and the consequences of conflict and confrontation are unbearable for anyone, Xi stressed. "Great power competition will not solve the problems China, the US, and the world face. This planet is big enough for both China and the US. The success of each is an opportunity for the other."

Xi pointed out that China's development follows its own logic and rules, and China is advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through modernization in its own unique style.

China does not follow the old path of colonial plunder or engage in ideological confrontation with any country. It does not export ideology either. Xi emphasized that China has no plans to surpass or replace the US, and the US should not attempt to suppress or contain China.

President Xi also highlighted the importance of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, which are lessons learned from the 50-year history of China-US relations and historical conflicts between great powers. These principles should guide joint efforts by China and the US.

As long as both sides adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, it is entirely possible to transcend differences and find the correct way for two major countries to coexist, Xi said.

At last year's Bali meeting, the US side stated that it does not seek to change China's system, does not seek a "new Cold War," does not seek to oppose China by strengthening alliances, does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention of having conflict with China. At this San Francisco meeting, China and the US should have a new vision, Xi said, working together to solidify the five pillars of China-US relations, including establishing correct mutual recognition, managing differences effectively, jointly promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering big-power responsibilities and promoting cultural exchanges.

On the Taiwan question, Xi emphasized that it remains the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations, and China values the positive statements made by the US side during the Bali meeting.

The US should implement its stance of not supporting "Taiwan independence" into concrete actions, stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification, according to the Chinese president.

He also highlighted that the US' continuous implementation of export control measures, investment reviews, and unilateral sanctions have severely harmed China's legitimate interests.

Suppressing China's technology aims to contain its high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development. Xi emphasized that China's growth follows its own internal logic, which cannot be halted by external forces. China hopes that the US will take its concerns seriously, take appropriate action, lift unilateral sanctions, and provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises.

Biden told reporters during the walk that the talks were going "well" and added on social media that "real progress" was made, according to media reports.

The two heads of state stressed the importance of China and the US accelerating efforts to address the climate crisis during this critical decade. They welcomed the recent positive discussions between the two countries' climate envoys, including domestic emissions reduction actions in the 2020s. They also expressed their joint commitment to promoting the success of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) and announced the launch of the China-US Enhancing Climate Action in 2020s working group to accelerate specific climate actions.

Some experts believe that during this highly-anticipated meeting, the Chinese leader has further clarified China's stance on China-US relations, expressing hope that the US side can fundamentally adopt a correct and responsible attitude, rather than merely making tactical adjustments.

"This continues the tone set in Bali. Looking forward, it will be important to see whether the US can truly achieve a correct understanding," said Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, in an interview with the Global Times on Wednesday.

Diao added that if the US can adjust its understanding and truly adopt a responsible perspective, recognizing each other's positions, effectively managing differences, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, it will further stabilize the relations between the two countries.

From the latest China-US summit, we can see that the expectations of both sides are beginning to align, Sun Taiyi, assistant professor of Political Science at Christopher Newport University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Neither Washington nor Beijing harbor any illusion of a rapid breakthrough or significant improvement in relations. The leaders of both countries, each for their own reasons, also see the benefits of restraining tensions at the current level to prevent further deterioration, Sun said.

Maintaining multi-channel and multi-level communication to construct guardrails for the bilateral relationship may be the most crucial measure required, the expert noted.

On one hand, the summit may be the last opportunity for Biden to meet with Chinese leader face-to-face during the US President's current term. On the other hand, US elections will inevitably be accompanied by politicians' various accusations and denigrating remarks about China. Some incumbents may also propose tough bills on China to sway voters, Sun noted.

"Therefore, it will be essential to continue exploring cooperation in limited fields, activate the various working groups and communication channels that are already in place, and seek common ground while reserving differences in controversial areas," he said.

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China does not follow the old path of colonial plunder, nor does it take the crooked path of might makes right. It does not export ideology, nor does it engage in ideological confrontation with any country. #China has no plans to surpass or deplace the #US, and the US should not intend to suppress or contain China: President Xi told Biden during the meeting in San Francisco

NNNOTES

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China to hold military drills with SE Asian countries amid provocations by the Philippines over Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

San Francisco moving homeless away from Apec summit venue, Historic Bay Area Estate Where Biden and Xi Jinping Are Meeting

 

San Francisco has struggled to clean up the city ahead of hosting world and business leaders at this week’s Apec summit. Photo: AFP

• Homelessness in the city has been a target for US right-wing media and Chinese commentators have joined in the criticism
• Encampments were cleared from around the Moscone Centre where world leaders, including Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, meet this week

Why doesn't the US put up some money to resettle these homeless people?

The news that San Francisco has removed vagrants from the street to give the city a new look is hotly discussed on China’s internet. It is quite difficult for the Chinese to understand that the US is so rich, but there are so many people in absolute poverty

 

• 

Eduardo Jaramilloin San Francisco

Published: 1:37pm, 15 Nov, 2023

Why you can trust SCMP

More world leaders will visit San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this week than at any time since 1945 – when 50 dignitaries met to found the United Nations – and the famed city by the bay is trying to put its best foot forward.

This week’s historic meeting of leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region has prompted a beautification campaign, with San Francisco scrubbing streets and cleaning up the city.

San Francisco has also removed homeless residents from encampments near the summit and called in thousands of law enforcement officers to police the area around the Moscone Centre where world leaders – including US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – will meet.

See the Historic Bay Area Estate Where Biden and Xi Jinping Are Meeting

Written by Annie Gaus

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Reflecting pool and former carriage house at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Redlemur/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will hold a high-stakes meeting Wednesday at a historic estate about 25 miles south of San Francisco, according to a report.

The two leaders are planning to meet for about four hours Wednesday at the Filoli estate, a lush, sprawling property located in the posh Bay Area suburb of Woodside, according to the Voice of America. The two will dine together during the meeting, which is happening alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Downtown San Francisco.

The meeting will include a working lunch, a stroll through the grounds of the estate and a smaller meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Other officials will hold separate sessions on specific issues, VOA reported.

The dining room at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Daderot/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Filoli is described on its website as "a vibrant landscape of the Bay Area, situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone, in Woodside, California."

The estate, formally called Filoli Historic House and Garden, boasts 654 acres along the slopes of California’s coastal range.

The main house at the Filoli estate was built in a California Eclectic architectural style. | Source:Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

It was originally built in 1917 for William Bowers Bourn II, then owner of one of California's richest gold mines, as a private residence. In 1975, it was opened to the public as a nonprofit organization.

The two leaders will have plenty of space to stroll. The property features a 54,000+-square-foot Georgian revival-style mansion, 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens, a 6.8-acre orchard and a 1-mile trail, among other amenities.

The Wednesday session will be Biden and Xi's first face-to-face meeting since last year, when they met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The ballroom of the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Daderot/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Xi’s stop at APEC marks his first visit to the U.S. since an April 2017 meeting at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s Florida resort. It is also the Chinese president’s first visit to San Francisco since 1985, when he was a small-town Communist Party chief.

Biden and Xi are set to discuss the importance of strengthening communication between the two superpowers and managing competition responsibly—along with a range of issues that could prove contentious, such as election interference, according to a senior administration official.

READ MORE: China's Xi Jinping Arrives in San Francisco to Fanfare, Protests

Biden is also likely to touch on China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, the official said. The Bay Area meeting will be Biden and Xi’s seventh interaction since Biden took office.

See more pictures of the estate below:

Reception room at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Daderot/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

The Chartres Garden at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Redlemur/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Exterior of the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Redlemur/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

The kitchen at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Daderot/Wikimedia/Creative Commons

The Sunken Garden at the Filoli estate, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, in Woodside, California. | Source:Leonard G./German Wikipedia by Sozi

Sunken garden and lawn at Filoli estate, a preserved country house, formal garden and estate operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Woodside on June 23, 2017. | Source:Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Annie Gaus can be reached at annie@sfstandard.com

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