Despite national ban, e-sales of placenta continue to thrive

BEIJING - Sales of human placenta continue to flourish online, despite a government ban on the trade and warnings from health experts about the risk of disease.

Taobao, the country's largest online marketplace, is awash with vendors offering dried or ground placenta, a popular ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Several traders contacted by China Daily said their products were secretly purchased from staff members at hospitals and specialized maternity clinics, without the knowledge of new mothers.