Many samples of herbal inhaler products have proved to be unsafe, contaminated with microbes, yeast, mould and pathogenic bacteria, and weak and elderly people are at risk, according to health authorities.
Supattra Boonserm, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration, said on Wednesday that the FDA collected samples of many brands of herbal inhalers for testing after online reports in May of fungal contamination found in herbal inhalers which could harm users’ lungs.
The tests looked for total aerobic microbial counts, total yeast and mould counts and contamination with specific bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Clostridium spp, which are banned in herbal products.
Ms Supattra said tests on samples showed unsafe levels under all three criteria for herbal inhaler ‘Hong Thai Formula 2’, registration number G309/62, lot 000332 manufactured on Dec 9, 2024. The Clostridium bacteria detected was Clostridium perfringens.
The agency also found unsafe levels of total aerobic microbial counts in samples from Chama Herbs herbal inhaler, registration number G561/67, lot NF 2522503001 produced on March 3, 2025.
‘The FDA thus informed the public that the herbal inhalers of both brands are substandard herbal products and will gradually make more announcements if products of other brands are proved with unsafe levels of microbial contamination,’ the FDA secretary-general said.
She warned that unsafe levels of contamination with microbes, fungus, yeast and bacteria could be especially harmful to the health of people with immunodeficiency and for elderly people.
‘Inhalation risks health problems due to fungal spores and Clostridium perfringens, such as respiratory infection, breathing difficulties with wheezing, coughing and sore mouth and throat,’ Ms Supattra said.
The FDA suspended the manufacturing of the products concerned and ordered their recall and destruction. Manufacturing could resume if producers found and rectified the source of the contamination and the FDA certified the improved production process, she said.
Dr Sarawut Boonsuk, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said that in fiscal 2025 the department received 54 samples of inhalers for examination and 39 of them proved to be substandard.
‘Most of them were substandard for total counts of aerobic microbes, yeast, mould and Clostridium perfringens.
‘Clostridium perfringens is in soil and is anaerobic. Fungal spores and Clostridium perfringens can harm people who are weak, have low immunity or are old, if they are inhaled,’ Dr Sarawut said.
Herbal Hong Thai Co said it would recall 200,000 jars of the inhaler product concerned and destroy them as soon as possible. It also promised refunds for customers and business partners who have inhalers with the specific lot number.