The Minister of Health, Mohamad Jawad Khalifa, said that that the ministry has not issued any permit for the manufacture of herbal products or food supplements. If anyone has such permit let them come forward, he said at a press conference today. The only permits that were given were for the manufacture of sachets that contain tea, and other herbs that are commonly in use. The tradition of using tea, chamomile, mint and other herbs as traditional and simple medications has degenerated into a multi-million dollar industry, he said. “How can someone import $150,000 worth of herb products yet spend close to eight million dollars in advertising expenses, said Khalifa. He said that no one is protecting those people. “It is simply their considerable financial abilities which allow them to carry out intense advertising campaigns,” he said. “There is nothing called herbal medicine. The products that are on sale have not been manufactured here. Some products have been confiscated by the consumer protection police and were sent to the laboratories for analysis,” he said. Lebanon has nothing to do with herbal products that were denied entry into the Saudi and UAE markets recently, said Khalifa. “Such products could have been manufactured in China,” he said.

,