A POPULAR alternative medication, allegedly responsible for at least one death and numerous allergic reactions overseas, is readily available in Hong Kong - unchecked by the Department of Health.
Royal Jelly, billed as a health tonic and available in many health stores and pharmacies around the territory, is a protein-rich substance produced by worker bees for the queen bee and her larvae.
The tonic is believed to be harmless and a boost to the body's metabolism and immune system. But it was blamed for the recent death of an 11-year-old girl in Australia and numerous near-fatal allergic attacks but is not considered hazardous by many health and medical authorities.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said the jelly was not classified as a pharmaceutical product. It is in the same category as Chinese medicine for which there is no legislation requiring tests to determineits safety for human consumption.
The chief research and testing officer for the Consumer Council, Connie Lau Yin-hing, said the council had not carried out any tests on the product as it had received no complaints.
An official statement from the Department of Health said: ''There is no documentation that the ingestion of royal jelly is associated with sudden death. In Hong Kong royal jelly is not known to have caused any deaths.
''People, particularly asthmatics, should be cautious in the consumption of drugs and food and should consult a doctor if uncertain. There is no need to issue a general warning for the public health.'' Eleven-year-old Australian, Deanna Straatmans, suffered a severe allergic reaction after taking a dose of the jelly last year and died.