21/09/2016
My Thoughts on the Issues Currently Surrounding Essensa Buah Merah Mix
By: Ismael D. Tabije, Essensa Depot-Distributor for Davao City
September 19, 2016
This article is necessitated by the fact that a lot of wrong and destructive information are being spread by unscrupulous people (most probably Essensa’s unprofessional competitors) in relation to the recent “changes” in the Essensa Buah Merah Mix label. The information herein are the result of my discussions with Essensa VP Louie Ocampo and my own online research.
1. Question: Why was the Essensa Buah Merah Mix formulation changed recently?
Fact: nothing has been changed in the product formulation. It is still the same as before: no new ingredients have been added to our original and highly-effective formula. Only the label has been changed to comply with the new instructions of FDA. The original label contained mainly the major ingredients (extracts of buah merah, guayabano, moringa, barley, mangosteen and wheat grass). The company did not previously see the need for writing the minor secondary-purpose ingredients like binders (maltodextrin) and colorings (Red 40), etc.; but these were always part of the original formulation. The FDA has recently advised the company to include all the ingredients in the label, so we had to comply.
2. What is MALTODEXTRIN?
Maltodextrin in Buah Merah Mix serves as a binder. Maltodextrin is a common ingredient in salad dressings, frozen yoghurt, spice mixes, Cheetos, candy, baked goods, fat-free and sugar-free products, meats, nutrition bars, splenda, mass gainers, etc. Emphasis: their use for these purposes are FDA-approved.
Note: Buah Merah Mix uses organic malto as binder. Tapioca Maltodextrins is one of example of ORGANIC MALTO. These are produced from pure tapioca starch using a natural enzymatic process. Because they are agglomerated powders, they have improved flow, increased dispersability and dissolve easily.
Maltodextrin has a low sugar content but a relatively-high glycemic index of 130 (vs. a table sugar of 65). The significance of glycemic index is two-fold (a) positive: a high glycemic index means that it goes through the digestive system and into the bloodstream very quickly. This can be helpful to help muscles recover from hard workouts, if accompanied with protein, or to sustain you during a very intense workout like long distance running or biking, and (b) negative: due to its high glycemic index, maltodextrin can spike blood sugar very quickly
But what is really important to consider in this issue is the volume being taken. A bottle of Buah Merah Mix has a very small amount (about one tablespoon) of mixed powder that we mix with 300 ml. water. Maltodextrin is a very small proportion of that total mix. If you take coffee or milk twice a day, it means you take 2 teaspoons or 2 table spoons of table sugar in a day. In comparison, even if you take the whole bottle of Buah Merah Mix all in one day (usually, it is consumed in 1 week), the amount of maltodextrin you have taken is not even 1/10 of one teaspoon per day. In short: the effect of its glycemic index in this product is practically negligible.
3. What is Red 40?
Red 40 is the most common food coloring or dye in the US. More importantly, it is approved for such use by the US & Philippine FDA.
Red 40 is a food-grade dye commonly used to improve the visual image of food products such as cereals, pickles, baked goods, barbecue sauces, candies, gelatin powder, drinks (berry, orange, strawberry), and cosmetics (eye shadows, body washes, sun tanning). Take note: most of the dye you ingest is excreted from your body (via sweating, urination, bowel movement).
4. What is BLACK TEA EXTRACT?
Black tea has the following benefits: reduces risk of stroke, anti-oxidant (reduces damage related to to***co and other toxic substances), cancer prevention, healthier bones, lowers risk of diabetes, stress relief, better immune system, healthier digestive tract, increased energy, increased mental alertness. It is also used for treating headache and low blood pressure; preventing heart disease and heart attack.
5. Emphasis: All the ingredients listed in the new label of Buah
Merah Mix are duly approved by the FDA. FDA will not approve any product if it would be toxic or harmful to any human being.
6. Our product is still classified as ONA: Organic, Non-Toxic and
All Natural--100% Safe even for infants and lactating moms. FDA has several level of “organic” classifications. The two most major ones are: (1) 100% organic – means all ingredients are organic materials, and (b) Organic – 95%-99% of ingredients are organic materials. Buah Merah Mix falls in the second classification.
7. Question: Why does the new label of Buah Merah Mix contain a precaution that “it is not suitable for children, pregnant and lactating mothers”? Can we still recommend the product to them?
That precaution is required by the FDA to be printed on the label of ALL products that that they consider as herbal drink or food supplement or health supplement. So we have to comply as they consider Buah Merah Mix as falling in those categories.
But the fact is: Essensa’s thousands of distributor-dealers and satisfied customers that benefited from the product over the last 5 years nationwide know that there has never been any report of incidents involving negative effects of Buah Merah Mix on children and pregnant and lactating women users. In fact, there are numerous anecdotal evidences and actual testimonies of them getting healthier because of Buah Merah Mix. Check out youtube videos by searching for “Buah Merah Mix”
8. Question: Why does the new label have no “Halal” marking?
Since we changed label we also need to re-apply for approval with the appropriate certifying agency so that we can retain the “Halal” logo in our new label. Further, the agency has changed its name so everything needs to be re-applied for again. In order not to prolong the production shortage of Buah Merah Mix (the demand is currently at 1million bottles per month, and growing!), it was decided by the company to temporarily print the label without the “Halal” logo. But in reality it is still Halal-compliant.
9. Question: Can we still ship internationally?
Yes, our distributors have been shipping to 45 countries to-date. The documents you need for sending via Philpost/DHL are FDA, SEC, MS/DS and COR.
10. Question: Is it true that the manufacturer of Buah Merah Mix has stopped supplying to Essensa?
No. Glomar Herbal Phils. Corporation is the company that has been manufacturing Buah Merah Mix for Essensa since the beginning. Essensa VP Louie Ocampo is also a major stockholder of that company and he assured us that there is no plan of the company to stop supplying to Essensa.
