Would you like Viagra with your coffee?

Officials issue warning as "secret ingredients" are revealed in Sexpresso and Rock Hard instant coffee

It’s a bit like the old joke when a doctor advises a woman to sneak Viagra into her husband’s coffee to improve their sex life, and the woman later complains that after it worked instantly she can't show her face in Starbucks ever again.

Rock Hard instant coffee has been marketing a mystery ingredient in its sachets of instant coffee. They promise men “harder, longer, stronger erections” -- within 40 minutes of drinking a cup -- that could last for up to six hours. Purchases even include a DVD for lonely drinkers.

You could hardly accuse them of misleading advertising.

Along with another sex-inducing instant coffee, Sexpresso, which markets its magical sachets along with “strip coffee bars,” their secret ingredient has been uncovered.

And it is believed to contain analogues of Sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra.

Secret ingredients are a common marketing ploy. Mega-brands such as KFC and Coca-Cola have gone down this road.

But when local product makes therapeutic claims, it comes under the control of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Basically, a product's contents have to be clearly labelled and it cannot contain any prescription medicines or banned substances. The TGA, along with state bodies, will now be investigating the product.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has issued a warning to consumers: “These analogues, like any drugs, can interact with prescription medicines and may be dangerous, particularly for people with certain health conditions.”

Anyone drinking the special coffees has been asked to stop, and to contact a physician.

Because, it must be said, asking someone over to your house for a coffee has had a particularly virile meaning.

From: cnngo.com