(ECNS) -- Five widely used Chinese traditional medicines (TCMs) for treating cough have been found to have a high sulfur content, the Economic Information Daily reported on Friday.
The scandal involved well-known Chinese pharmaceutical companies Taiji Group (Tai Chi Group), Tongyao Pharmaceutical Group, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group and Yunnan Baiyao Group. So far, the companies have not responded to the accusation.
The paper attributed the contamination to sulfur-fumigated Thunberg Fritillary Bulb, a raw material widely used in cough TCMs to clear away heat, reduce phlegm, and moisten lungs.
A tipster surnamed Bai told the paper that sulfur-fumigated Thunberg Fritillary Bulb was very harmful to human health.
At the end of last year, Bai bought five popular cough TCMs online and had them examined by Xi'an Guolian Quality Inspection Technology Corp, a third-party institution, finding sulfur in all the medicines.
Generally speaking, TCMs should not contain sulfur, but the content of sulfur in the five under scrutiny ranged from 0.1g to 0.6g per 100g of medication, the paper said, citing an inspector surnamed Zhong.
All tests had been conducted in accordance with China's national food safety standard, the paper said. However, as Xi'an Guolian is not an official pharmaceutical inspection institution, the results have yet to be approved by regulators.
The paper said it had failed to reach the four above-mentioned pharmaceutical companies for comment.