Frisked at the border
A batch of supplements containing sildenafil – a pharmacological ingredient – was sent from Latvia via Portugal before being picked up by the French authorities.
Sildenafil has been approved as a treatment for erectile dysfunction by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) since the 90s. Perhaps the most famous trade name of the ingredient is Viagra. Yet as a medicine it cannot be used in food supplements.
In the past the pharma ingredient has been detected as an adulterant in both weight loss and aphrodisiac herbals.
The exact substance found was sildenafil thiono analogue (dithiodesmethylcarbodenafil, desmethylcarbodenafil and carbodenafil).
