Copyright independent
A popular brand of herbal inhalers was forced to recall a batch after Thai authorities warned people the products failed health quality tests due to contamination. Hong Thai Herbal recalled a batch of their bright green inhalers after Thailand’s food and drug watchdog revealed that abnormalities were found in the total microbial, yeasts, mould, and spore-forming bacterium count of the affected batch. The products, called yadom in Thai language, are portable aromatherapy inhalers widely used in several parts of Southeast Asia for nasal congestion, dizziness and motion sickness. They are small plastic containers containing essential oils, camphor, and eucalyptus oil, among other ingredients. These inhalers are a common household item in Thailand and have become increasingly popular among tourists, who depart the country with these as souvenirs. The herbal inhaler has also become a massive hit among celebrities such as BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth, and British rapper Central Cee, which helped boost its popularity in the West. Hong Thai Herbal said on Facebook it has recalled the affected batch, which was manufactured on 9 December 2024 with an expiry date of 8 December 2027. The manufacturer said there were 200,000 units produced in the batch with the production number of 000332. "The company fully acknowledges and accepts the results of the FDA’s inspection with utmost respect,” Hong Thai Herbal said in a statement. “We have already recalled all affected products from the market and are coordinating with the FDA to proceed with the destruction of the recalled batch as soon as possible. The exact date of destruction will be officially announced later," it added. Hong Thai Herbal said it has since strengthened and upgraded its production processes and added additional quality control steps at every stage. The manufacturer has pledged full refunds to any customers or partners who still have stocks of the contaminated batch, news outlet Thai PBS reported. “We sincerely apologise to our partners for any inconvenience and to our valued customers for any concern caused,” the company added. Under Thailand's Herbal Products Act, producing a substandard herbal product is punishable by up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to 200,000baht (£4,688), or both. Those found guilty of selling substandard herbal products can be penalised by a prison sentence of up to six months or fined up to 50,000baht (£1,172), or both.
