New Zealand warns of slimming plant touted by Oprah Winfrey

Wellington - New Zealand officials warned on Monday that they are seizing imports of a plant believed to suppress the appetite that has been touted as a dieting aid by US talk show Oprah Winfrey. Hoodia is a cactus-like plant native to the Namib Desert in Africa, and falls under an international agreement to protect endangered plants and animals, meaning it cannot generally be bought or sold, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said. DOC spokeswoman Jane Denton said hoodia could only be legally traded with certification under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Customs officers were seizing hoodia products coming into the country that had been bought over the internet and warned that importers faced three years in jail or heavy fines, she said. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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New Zealand warns of slimming plant touted by Oprah Winfrey

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