Determination of Cocaine in “Mate de Coca” Herbal Tea

Abstract

It came to our attention that an herbal tea, sold under the name of Health Inca Tea or “Mate de Coca”, has been available commercially in this country since 1983. This tea is produced and packed in Peru from the leaves of Erythroxylum novogranatense var. truxillense1 by “ENACO” (National Enterprise of Coca). The sellers claim that the product has been decocainized in the factory, which is not the case.1 The selling of this product is illegal under the provisions of the Control Measures of the 1961 Single Convention of the United Nations because it contains cocaine and, therefore, carries a potential for abuse. In 1986, Elsohly et al.2 found cocaine metabolites in the urine of an individual after consumption of only one cup of Health Inca Tea. The same year, Siegel et al.3 reported the availability of Health Inca Tea and “Mate de Coca” in the United States and reported cases of abuse.