On Wednesday, Zambia banned Power Natural High Energy Drink SX after they discovered that the drink was spiked with Viagra.
The ban came after Zambia’s medicine regulator complained that the drink had been adulterated with the male sex booster. Authorities from Ndola, the city of manufacture, followed up on the complaint and conducted an investigation into the composition of the drink.
The manufacturer of the drink, Revin Zambia Limited, has not issued a statement in regard to this matter.
The drink is also exported to African countries such as Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe, the manufacturer said last year.
The Uganda National Drug Authority said in a letter dated Dec. 28, 2018 that it made similar findings after a customer complained of constant sweating and a nearly six-hour erection.
Zambia had ordered the manufacturer to withdraw the drink after tests showed it contained Sildenafil Citrata whose brand name is Viagra, a Ndola local authority statement said.
Sildenafil is an active ingredient in oral therapy in erectile dysfunction in men and should only be available on prescription, the statement said.
“Results from both Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those obtained from the Foods and Drugs Laboratory that indicated a positive presence of Sildenafil Citrate,” it said.
Zambia has also suspended the production of the drink until remedial measures are put in place to ensure that it is not adulterated, the statement said.
In January, Malawi banned the drink following tests conducted at its drug quality control laboratory after safety concerns were raised in Zambia and Uganda.
Natural Power Energy Drink SX is very popular among Zambian men and is sold in 500 ml plastic cans, mostly in supermarkets and bars.