In recent days, the news that sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines to turn treatment drugs into lethal drugs has caused great repercussions among consumers, and Chinese herbal medicine exports have also been affected. The reporter learned from the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products (hereinafter referred to as the “Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce”) that the effect of sulfur-smoked Chinese medicine on exports is not small, and the root cause is the absence of testing standards.

According to previous news, many Chinese herbal medicines were found to have been smoked in sulfur in the west of Gansu Province, the main producing area of ​​Chinese herbal medicines. "Smoked Chinese herbal medicines, insects will not go in, really into it will be smoked." A herbal dealer said. According to an industry source, the use of trace amounts of sulphur for fumigation and drying of medicinal materials is one of the traditional procedures for the processing of some Chinese herbal medicines in China. It is considered to be beneficial to the storage of Chinese herbal medicines and to maintain the stability of efficacy. Some medicinal herbs are also used to ensure the color and appearance of products. However, some pharmaceutical farmers and distributors used excessive industrial sulfur and repeated fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines, seriously affecting the quality of medicinal materials. Long-term exposure to low-dose sulfur dioxide can also cause physical damage, especially respiratory system damage.

The reporter learned from the Medical Insurance Association that sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines not only has an impact on the domestic market, but also is quite unfavorable to exports. Previously, in the process of exporting to Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong and other countries and regions, many Chinese medicine export companies have also encountered increasingly stringent restrictions on the amount of sulphur dioxide residues.

According to Huo Wei of the Chinese Medicinal Insurance Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, although the State Food and Drug Administration banned the use of sulfur to smoke Chinese herbal medicines as early as 2004, it has not established specific and uniform testing standards for the sulfur content of Chinese herbal medicines. "Only the development of comprehensive standards for the detection of Chinese herbal medicines can solve problems that may arise from planting to harvesting to final processing. In addition, although the current low-temperature drying technology and standardized storage conditions can fully achieve the No sulfur is stored, but the construction cost is high, and it is more difficult for the enterprise to complete it alone. The government should increase investment in this area, said Huo Wei.