French customs officials said Monday that a record 31,000 tons of illegally imported honey, advertised as an all-natural sexual enhancement tool — but often tainted with erectile dysfunction drugs, were seized in the country last year.
Packets of honey and gels, sold as “shots” or “sticks” with names like Black Horse or Bio Max, are often sold clandestinely in clubs and other nightlife venues.
The use of “aphrodisiac honey” has increased in recent years, and officials warn of potentially serious health risks from off-label ingredients.
“Since the amount of adulterated honey is unknown and the doses consumed are not recommended or quantified, the consumer assumes a significant risk by consuming this type of adulterated honey,” the French customs office said in statement.
They often contain chemical products such as sildenafil or tadalafil, the main substances in drugs for erectile dysfunction Viagra and Cialis, which are only available by prescription in France.
Already in 2021, health authorities warned of several cases in which honey caused convulsions, cerebral edema or acute kidney injury.
French customs said it seized 31,000 tonnes, mostly from countries including Malaysia, Turkey, Tunisia and Thailand.
“They arrive by sea, in containers in large quantities, or by express cargo, in smaller quantities, after purchasing on the Internet,” the office says.
The biggest find was made in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille in November — 13 tons worth about 860,000 sticks in a shipment from Malaysia.
Last June, officials said customs officials from Lyon and Clermont-Ferrand seized nearly 25,000 doses of honey in a storage box.