Five widely used Chinese traditional medicines (TCMs) for treating cough have been found to have a high sulfur content, the Economic Information Daily reported on Friday.
据《经济参考报》5月6日报道，5种常见的止咳药被检测出较高的硫磺含量。
The scandal involved well-known Chinese pharmaceutical companies Taiji Group (Tai Chi Group), Tongyao Pharmaceutical Group, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group and Yunnan Baiyao Group. So far, the companies have not responded to the accusation.
中国知名药企如太极集团、通药集团、哈药集团、云南白药集团等或涉其中。截至发稿，这些药企均未对此作出回应。
The paper attributed the contamination to sulfur-fumigated Thunberg Fritillary Bulb, a raw material widely used in cough TCMs to clear away heat, reduce phlegm, and moisten lungs.
《经济参考报》称，硫磺熏浙贝是造成止咳药含有硫磺的主要原因。浙贝母是一种广泛用在止咳药中的中药材，以清热化痰、润肺止咳。
A tipster surnamed Bai told the paper that sulfur-fumigated Thunberg Fritillary Bulb was very harmful to human health.
爆料人白先生告诉《经济参考报》，硫磺熏过的浙贝对人体危害极大。
At the end of last year, Bai bought five popular cough TCMs online and had them examined by Xi’an Guolian Quality Inspection Technology Corp, a third-party institution, finding sulfur in all the medicines.
去年底，他网购了5种常见的止咳化痰药品，并送到第三方机构——西安国联质量检测技术股份有限公司检测，结果发现所有送检药品中均含有一定的硫磺。
Generally speaking, TCMs should not contain sulfur, but the content of sulfur in the five under scrutiny ranged from 0.1g to 0.6g per 100g of medication, the paper said, citing an inspector surnamed Zhong.
《经济参考报》援引检测负责人钟某的话，他表示一般来说，成品药成分中不应出现“硫”成分，而这5种止咳药中每100克成品药的硫磺含量竟然达0.1-0.6克 (即最高千分之六的比例)。
All tests had been conducted in accordance with China’s national food safety standard, the paper said. However, as Xi’an Guolian is not an official pharmaceutical inspection institution, the results have yet to be approved by regulators.
《经济参考报》称，上述5种止咳药的硫磺含量检测都是依据的国家食品安全标准。然而，由于西安国联并不是我国官方医药检测机构，因此结果有待官方进一步确认。
The paper said it had failed to reach the four above-mentioned pharmaceutical companies for comment.
《经济参考报》表示尚未收到以上四家药企的回复。
