BEIRUT: The political spat over the illegal herbal medicine industry appeared to ease Thursday, after a prominent MP said the authorities were finally taking action.
The matter was discussed Thursday by Parliament’s Health Committee, whose chairman, Beirut MP Atef Majdalani, said caretaker Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh had agreed to cancel the permit of Zein al-Atat herbal and nutritional product manufacturing company.
“Khalifeh has taken an important decision to revoke the investment license of the factory owned by Zein al-Atat, which is located in Dbayyeh,” said Majdalani after the meeting.
Outdoor advertisements for these products will also be removed by the Internal Security Forces within a week, Majdalani said.
Last month, the Health Ministry issued a warning against the manufacturers of herbal products and nutritional supplements such as Zein al-Atat and Amanacare, whose products the ministry said would constitute hazardous risks to public health.
The local campaign against these products was intensified following the decision of both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to withdraw 38 such products manufactured in Lebanon from their markets.
However, the committee and Khalifeh had for weeks disagreed about who should be responsible for the closure of these companies, despite an existing law passed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet in March 2010 which labeled such products as medicine.
Majdalani said Khalifeh and the Interior Ministry agreed that the General Prosecutor’s office would be responsible for shutting down these companies after their licenses are revoked.
According to Majdalani, Khalifeh has also agreed to issue a decree to withdraw all other herbal and nutritional supplements until they were tested for safety. –The Daily Star
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