What happened
Between September and October 2026 the Spanish food safety agency AESAN and the medicines agency AEMPS published these alerts for products sold as food supplements:
| Date | Product | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep | several slimming products (AEMPS) and food supplements (AESAN, ES2026/535) | undeclared sibutramine, a weight-loss drug withdrawn in the EU for serious side effects |
| 9 Sep | “Melatonin Time Release”, Haya Labs (USA), 60 tablets (ES2026/543) | 5 mg of melatonin per tablet |
| 2 Oct | Etumax Royal Honey, Miel Soudan VIP, Epimedyumlu Macum, Organic Honey (AEMPS; AESAN alert ES2026/606 on 9 Oct) | undeclared sildenafil in “honey” sachets |
| 7 Oct | El Toro (AEMPS) | withdrawn as an illegal product |
| 8 Oct | a food supplement (ES2026/604) | undeclared sildenafil |
| 27 Oct | Enerup Premium (AEMPS) | undeclared sildenafil |
| 28 Oct | a food supplement from Peru (ES2026/654) | undeclared sildenafil |
AESAN advises anyone who has one of these products at home not to take it.
What it means for you
- Hidden drugs cluster in three categories: sexual “vigour”, muscle building and weight loss, often sold online as natural products. AESAN has a separate alert category for exactly these.
- Melatonin above 2 mg a day counts as a medicine in Spain, so 5 mg tablets imported from the US cannot be sold as supplements there. Spanish supplements stop at about 1.9 mg.
- Before buying an unfamiliar brand, check that it is in AESAN’s public list of notified supplements and be wary of products that promise fast, drug-like effects.
- If you took one of these products and feel unwell, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Sources
Information only, not medical advice. No brand or shop paid for this item.