THE Ministry of Health intends to contact two import companies after a juice drink touted as an aid to curing cancer was launched in Phnom Penh Tuesday at $45 per 950ml bottle.

Intra Herb Cambodia Co Ltd and Lifestyle Thailand Company jointly launched the herbal juice, which is called Intra. The drink is imported from Canada to Thailand by a business called Lifestyles Global Network, then on to Cambodia by the joint partners.

It boasts 23 herbal ingredients, some of which include aloe vera, ginger root and thyme.

Veun Maly, vice president of Intra Herb, said Monday that this year the two companies plan to import 1,000 cases of the juice, valued at about $400,000.

“We hope that we will be able to increase our imports of this delicious fruit juice more and more in the coming years,” she added.

In addition to relieving consumers of their hard-earned money, Veun Maly said that regular consumption of the drink could help to ease connoisseurs of pain and numbness in their arm and leg muscles, improve their skin and – believe it or not – help cure diabetes and cancer.

Literature handed out at the launch event held at the Phnom Penh Hotel supported her claims, noting that the brew could also relieve high blood pressure and help sexual weakness.

Intra Herb hopes to convert about 2 million people to the brew in the future.

Mam Bunheng, Health Minister, said Tuesday that he has not yet received any information about the new drink, and that he would ask Ministry of Health officials to contact the two companies.

“If [the juice] is taken to cure sicknesses, that means it is a medicine, so it has to be checked thoroughly by the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Chan Nora, secretary of state of the Ministry of Commerce, said Monday that Cambodia is open to all imports, but cautioned that it is important to ensure food and drink safety by passing such products through inspection by the CamControl Department.

“We do not object to the distribution of this juice as long as it is of good quality and is properly examined by our authorities,” he said.