A coffee company in North Texas has been giving its customers more than their normal boost of energy. Bestherbs Coffee LLC is now voluntarily recalling its “New of Kopi Jantan Tradisional Herbs Coffee” because it contains an ingredient similar to Viagra, the FDA says.
When the federal agency did a lab analysis on this type of coffee, investigators found desmethyl carbodenafil, which is structurally similar to the sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. The coffee was marketed as a male enhancement product, but didn’t disclose Viagra-like effects.
The undeclared compound may interact with nitrates in some prescription drugs, the FDA’s statement said, which could lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Marketed as a male enhancement product, the coffee posed a particular risk to men who have diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or those who have heart disease.
It also contained undeclared milk, which could cause problems for consumers with allergies who were not expecting the dairy ingredient.
Bestherbs Coffee sold the product nationwide from June 2014 to June 2016, according to the FDA. Each box includes 25, 13-gram packages of instant coffee. Customers who bought the coffee can return it to the Bestherbs office in Grand Prairie to receive a refund.
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