PETALING JAYA — A senior pharmacist has voiced significant concerns about the safety of a new ice cream offering from the Malaysian chain Inside Scoop, which features a topping of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a traditional cough syrup. The warning underscores the potential health risks of incorporating medicinal products into food items.
Dr. Ong Aik Liang, Chief Pharmacist at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Children’s Hospital, expressed alarm over the inclusion of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa in ice cream. “Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is intended as a herbal remedy for minor throat irritations, but using it as a food ingredient poses safety risks,” he stated.
Inside Scoop’s latest promotional campaign for the limited edition flavor, available until August 18, markets the ice cream as a soothing treat. According to their Instagram post, the ice cream combines real Pei Pa Koa with creamy vanilla bean swirls. A promotional video features an actor consuming the cough syrup directly before heading to an Inside Scoop outlet to enjoy the ice cream.
Further promoting the product, British singer Zayn Malik has endorsed the flavor, highlighting the cough syrup’s herbal benefits and its complementarity with vanilla ice cream.
Dr. Ong raised concerns about the safety of this product, noting that traditional medicines like Pei Pa Koa come with specific dosage instructions. “Unlike traditional medicines that are dispensed with precise guidelines, ice cream lacks dosage information. The large quantities of cough syrup used in promotional materials could lead to potential overdoses,” he explained.
He stressed that ice cream’s inherent cold temperature already provides a soothing effect for the throat, making the addition of a mentholated cough syrup redundant. “It’s critical to provide clear labeling and dosage instructions to ensure consumer safety,” Ong said, emphasizing the importance of transparency, particularly when medicinal products are involved.
In 2021, the Philippines Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against the purchase or use of unregistered drug products, including Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa. Similarly, the Taiwan Department of Health has banned several herbal drugs, including Pei Pa Koa, due to the presence of aristolochic acid—a compound with potential health risks.
Dr. Ong also noted that Pei Pa Koa is available over the counter, creating a regulatory grey area. “While the inclusion of medicinal ingredients in food products is unprecedented, it raises concerns about potential public health issues if such practices become more common,” he cautioned.
