Total recall: Consumers are advised to avoid Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang which contains heavy metals.

Consumers are advised to avoid a proprietary Chinese medicine called Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang which contains heavy metals.

The product is manufactured in Taiwan and imported by Jin Ja Pharmaceutical Company.

The Department of Health inspected the wholesaler this afternoon and instructed it to recall the product from the market.

Chronic exposure to lead can lead to anaemia, joint and muscle pain, and brain and kidney damage, the department said, urging people who have used the product to seek medical advice if they feel unwell.

Jin Ja Pharmaceutical Company has set up a hotline 2332 5253 to answer public enquiries about recall arrangement.

Chinese medicine practitioners who have obtained the product from the wholesaler should withhold the prescription and inform their patients.