A DVFA spokesperson said the agency had traced at least three websites with Danish language home pages and Danish web addresses, whose owners have been traced France, the UK and the Netherlands.
The DVFA is in the process of contacting agencies in these countries to investigate the matter further.
“At the moment we can’t do anything because these companies are registered abroad,” the DVFA spokesperson said.
The European Commission has also been contacted with the aim of implementing some kind of EU-wide rule for black cohosh.
Black cohosh appears on a list of banned herbals in Denmark due to associations with liver toxicity but can be sold in some other European markets.
In its warning the DVFA stated: “Food Administration warns consumers against buying supplements containing extracts of the dangerous plant variety which is suspected to cause liver damage. The plant is called in English, Black Cohosh and Latin, cimicifuga. Several sites on the Internet encourage Danish consumers to purchase dietary supplements with the dangerous herbal ingredient.”
While issuing the warning, the DVFA said it has no information about consumption levels of the products, nor had any adverse effects been reported.