Firm advised to retract ‘anti-HFMD spray’ claim
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has advised a company to retract a claim that its product is an “anti-HFMD/flu spray” for the market.
The use of the phrase “antihand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD)” was regarded as baseless as there was no proof to support the claim as labelled on the product.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said based on the need to ensure people were not confused, particularly on the spread of HFMD, the company was advised to retract its claim for the Malaysian market.
He said the claim should be replaced with s o m ething more general and appropriate to avoid confusion. “This product is for external use, for example, for spraying on clothes, surfaces, toys and face masks.
“Since this product is not used directly on humans, it does not fall under the purview of the Health Ministry, hence there is no need for the product to be registered under any agency under this ministry.”
While Dr Noor Hisham did not name the product, social media has been abuzz these past few weeks on an anti-HFMD spray that cost more than RM60 per bottle.
Parents concerned about their children’s wellbeing discussed on social media about buying the product, while others, who were more cautious, remarked that it was just a marketing ploy.
Some Netizens explained that HFMD could be prevented by practising proper hygiene instead of buying expensive sprays.