TOKYO (TR) – Last week, Web page J-cast (Jan. 25) reported that a Japanese confection claiming to enhance breast size is stirring trouble overseas.
The F-Cup Cookie, whose package shows a curvy female torso in a pink, low-cut dress overlain by the bold text “F-cup,” has generated concern over advertising policies and highlighted differences in national pharmaceutical laws.
The ingredients of the biscuit include margarine, wheat, chocolate flavoring, processed soy powder and Pueraria Mirifica, a herb derived from a root found in northern parts of Thailand and Myanmar whose rejuvenating qualities supposedly enhance the female form. As a result of this medicinal supplement, the F-cup has found a following outside of Japan.
Jiji Press reported (Jan. 20) that in Thailand health officials conducted studies on the cookie after learning that each 13.5-gram wafer included 50 milligrams of the root extract, which is considered a pharmaceutical product in the Southeast Asian nation. Following rabid success of the cookie, whose intake is recommended to be one to two servings a day, Thai health officials became concerned about the impact such a product might have on female hormones.
Manufacturer Yokoyama Corporation of Gunma Prefecture produces the plump, chocolate- or soy-flavored treat in a variety of different packages. A four-pack sells for 298 yen on the Japanese version of online shopping mall Amazon. The company has sold 2.5 million cookies in the F-cup series to date.
Though domestic distributor campaigns for the F-cup blatantly brag of bountiful boobs – for example, mentioning swelling factors and proclaiming: “Finally, we are in an era of large breasts!” – the company states that it is not promoting its product as an enabler of noble knockers. Rather, it is about creating a feeling. “This is a snack to enhance lady-like elegance and help increase a woman’s cuteness,” Yokoyama corporation says. “The name has no meaning.” The firm added that it is not aware how its products are arriving in Thailand as it has no such distribution channels in place.
The J-cast reporter notes that under the Japan Pharmaceutical Affairs Law it is only illegal if Pueraria Mirifica is promoted in a way that implies it is a source of magnificent mammaries. Therefore, it is widely used in regular teas, cookies, and supplements. J-cast cites two past cases, one in Hyogo Prefecture in 2001 and another in Kanagawa Prefecture two years before, in which companies were squeezed for announcing the herb’s potential as a booster for undersized bosoms. The Hyogo company responded by changing its ad campaign to read: “This product strongly supports ladies who suffer from hormone imbalances.”
The news site wonders why Pueraria Mirifica is not considered a pharmaceutical in Japan. The National Institute of Health and Nutrition Web page offers few clues, only stating that the herb “alleviates menopausal symptoms” and is in need of further studies.
As well, J-cast further asks the fifty-million-yen question: Can the cakes indeed contribute to a climb in cup capacity?
A researcher at the institute indicated that the F-cup does contain elements that will function in a manner similar to female hormones, but only if consumed in large quantities and under the risk of possible side effects.
“If the chemical is in high concentrations it should be considered as a pharmaceutical,” the official said. “Imbalances in hormones in females can cause cancer. In fact, there have been reports that consumption of Pueraria Mirifica could result in liver problems and low blood pressure.”
Source: ‘Hokyo’ image saseru kukki, kenkyusha kara ‘chui shitahoogaii’ no koe, J-cast (Jan. 25)
