FDA warns vs unregistered 'green barley' powder juice drink

Health authorities over the weekend warned the public against a powdered juice drink being marketed as a "total food" and suggesting it has health-boosting properties.

The Food and Drug Administration said the product "Green Barley - A Total Food" is not registered yet makes several health and therapeutic claims.

"The product is sold at around P275 to 300 per bottle, both in the market and in online shops.  It is sold in plastic bottles, and the product is in powder form.  Green Barley is making false health and therapeutic claims as shown in its advertisement, both in print and digital media," FDA head Kenneth Hartigan-Go said in FDA Advisory 2013-037 dated Sept. 20.

"All field Food and Drug Regulation Officers are already instructed to seal, inventory and confiscate Green Barley and other unregistered food supplements and report them to the FDA for appropriate regulatory and legal action," he added.

He said the distributor, Health Wealth International Corp., claims the product has therapeutic properties that include dengue, cancer, diabetes, leptospirosis, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, rhinitis, impotence, goiter, arterial venous malformation, pre-menstrual tension, menopausal comaplaints, frequent urination, and myoma.

He added the product has "unapproved health claims" such as healing wounds and treating skin diseases like fungal infections by applying the powder juice on the skin.

Also, the distributors advised buyers to drink one bottle for a week or two, and for serious disease one bottle a day.

However, Hartigan-Go said a search at the FDA website showed the product is unregistered with the agency.

Initial findings also showed the registration number Green Barley claims to be using (BFAD FR-64136) as food product was issued in 2007 and expired in 2009.

"The product has been denied registration twice because they cannot fully comply with the FDA Rules and Regulations.  Although Global Partners Inc. submitted an application for a new Certificate of Product Registration to the FDA Center for Food Regulation and Research on September 2, 2013, this is still under evaluation and is not yet authorized to market," Hartigan-Go said.

Because of this, he advised consumers to remain vigilant against unscrupulous traders and retailers of food supplements who are make such deceitful claims.

He also advised them to check if a product is registered by logging on to the FDA website and typing in the name of the product in the search bar.

Also, he asked them to report any adverse reaction or unregistered products via email to report@fda.gov.ph. — VC, GMA News