Gold Coast MP Rob Molhoek’s PremaLife Australia spruiks unapproved supplement that turns people blue if misused

A NATURAL remedies company directed by a Gold Coast politician has continued to spruik an unapproved mineral supplement that can leave those who misuse it with a disturbing side effect.

A NATURAL remedies company solely directed by Southport MP Rob Molhoek has continued to spruik an unapproved mineral supplement that can leave those who misuse it with “Smurflike” side effects which can irreversibly turn users’ skin blue.

In 2016 Natural Vitality Group was criticised for selling colloidal silver online and at the time Mr Molhoek said the company had removed the product from its website and would review what it sold.

The supplement is only permitted in Australia for use as a water sanitiser.

Those found breaching regulations on therapeutic goods can face penalties ranging from a warning letter to hefty fines and imprisonment, with penalties for corporations liable to have penalties multiplied by five.

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US man Paul Karason turned blue after years of taking colloidal silver regularly.

Prema Life’s websites indicates it is selling high-strength colloidal silver products and the company’s Instagram account described the substance as “super effective”, adding it could “heal the body” and had potential benefits for wounds, skin conditions, ear infections, viruses, inflammation, sinusitis, colds and flu.

“Colloidal silver is a natural anti-inflammatory that works fast to reduce swelling, repair inflammation in the skin or body,” a post by the company said in August.

“Speed recovery to the common cold and flu bug with colloidal silver’s immune boosting benefits.”

The company’s Instagram profile describes it as a “manufacturer and supplier of retail and practitioner only naturopathic remedies”.

Mr Molhoek’s @RobMolhoekMP account “liked” the unproven Instagram claims about the silver. Yesterday, Mr Molhoek said he couldn’t remember liking the post.

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Screenshots from the PremaLife Australia Instagram page. Photo: Supplied

Colloidal silver is legally available as a water sanitiser.

“I don’t recall the post and I probably liked it because I just like anything from (Natural Vitality Australia) that comes up in my feed,” he said.

“I think you’ll find that somewhere in the text it probably has the words `it may assist with’ or `it’s been known to help with’. It’s not a breach.”

Mr Molhoek said there were scores of products widely available in pharmacies which had carefully-worded labelling to ensure they met regulator requirements.

“You’ll find that even on day-to-day multivitamin products,” he said.

“Without having seen the post, I wouldn’t say that what’s being stated is outrageous compared to any other claims that are being made in the natural health world.”

State Member for Southport Rob Molhoek with Weiqun `Lucy’ Gu, a shareholder of PremaLife, a company solely directed by Mr Molhoek.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said it would look into PremaLife’s promotion of the mineral “in the context of the therapeutic goods legislation and determine whether action is needed”.

“There are criminal offences and civil penalties in the therapeutic goods legislation for advertising unapproved therapeutic goods to the public,” the regulator said in an email.

“When investigating whether a contravention of the advertising legislation has occurred, the TGA will identify and contact the person responsible for the advertising (who may be the manufacturer or supplier of the goods or an independent retailer or advertiser).

“There are also criminal offences and civil penalties in the therapeutic goods legislation for the supply of illegal therapeutic goods by sponsors.

“The sponsor of a good is the person that exports or imports the goods or arranges the manufacture of the goods in Australia.”

Screenshots from the PremaLife Australia Instagram page. Photo: Supplied

Last year the company came under fire for selling “holy basil tea” that claimed to do everything from prevent snake bites and boost sex drive to protect the Taj Mahal from pollution.

Mr Molhoek said he was not an expert in natural health and that his company did not sell the products directly to the public.

“You’d have to be a registered practitioner, with a formal health qualification in natural remedies or naturopathy or one of those relevant disciplines,” he said.

“So any of those products that are being sold through the website are all sold through an approval process so you apply to become a customer, you have to be approved, present your qualifications, you’re then approved and issued with a password.

“The company’s actually not done anything wrong.”