Vitamin C Tablet Found to Contain Arsenic and Mercury

A leading Chinese pharmaceutical maker has stopped selling Vitamin C Yinqiao tablets after they were found to have contained arsenic and mercury, reports CCTV.

Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited said Wednesday the chemical-laced pills produced by its subsidiary, Guangxi Yingkang Pharmacy Co, have been taken off the shelves and sealed for investigation.

Growers of the Shan Yin Hua (wild honeysuckle) plant were found repeatedly fuming and steaming the flowers with industrial sulfur in order to prevent mildew. Beneficial nutrients were destroyed in the process leaving behind highly toxic arsenic and mercury, CCTV reported.

A Guangxi Yingkang supplier processed Shan Yin Hua stems and leaves rather than the plant's flowers and sold them to the pharmaceutical firm, the report stated.

A Guangxi Yingkang executive surnamed Liang said the company is cooperating with authorities as part of their investigation.
In China, the combination of Lian Qiao and flowers of the Jin Yin Hua or Shan Yin Hua plants, referred to as "Yinqiao" for short, is a popular prescription for treating coughs, sore throats, headaches and colds.

We recommend:
Those Xiaorenshu we read in childhood	Trip planner: four-day trip to S China	Wonderful snapshots of flying buzzards
Forever Shangri-la: China's heaven on earth	Top 10 ever-victorious generals in history	Dreamy log cabins among woods
Top 10 best airports in China 2012	Mysterious Zhongnanhai in Beijing	Top 10 Chinese 'Kung Fu Kings' in Minguo period