(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has warned the public against buying nutritional or sexual enhancement supplements advertised in newspapers and on television, saying they may be ineffective or worse, dangerous.
JFDA Director General Hayel Obeidat said some media outlets were advertising such products at low prices, with distributors claiming that they can cure diseases or help people lose weight in few days, which "they cannot".
He said that in order to protect citizens and their right to safe food and medicine, "we sent a circular to all media outlets and television stations calling on them not to publish any advertisement for medicine, milk or nutritional supplements without prior approval from the administration".
Article 35 of the Pharmacies and Drugs Law, according to Obeidat, stipulates that any merchant who plans to advertise these products must receive JFDA approval and display this approval with the ad.
"Public health is our priority and we do not want people to be deceived or harmed by products that are being promoted and sold in markets without the association's licence," Obeidat explained in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.
He also warned the public against buying medicine or supplements from street vendors.
"Even if these products are licensed, selling them in the streets will damage them, as the way food and drugs are stored is important for their safety," the JFDA director general said, noting that these products might also have been smuggled into the country.
Although smuggled products are typically less expensive, he explained, the way in which they are transported and stored may not meet the conditions needed to keep the products valid for human consumption.
"Each food item or drug should be stored and shipped at a certain temperature to protect it and its effectiveness," Obeidat said.
He also stressed that the public should be aware of safety measures when buying medicine and food products, including checking the expiry date of any product.
