This Popular Supplement Is Being Recalled After 18 Injuries
Nearly 4 million bottles sold around the country are affected.
Many Americans turn to supplements in the hopes of improving general health or targeting specific concerns. In fact, among U.S. adults aged 20 and over, 57.6 percent said they'd taken a dietary supplement in the past 30 days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Use is even higher among women (63.8p percent) than men (50.8 percent), and higher with increased age. Indeed, more than 80 percent of women over 60 say they take supplements, according to the data.
But experts urge caution as the supplement market is not regulated, and supplements are regularly recalled due to various health concerns. Read on to find out the latest supplement being recalled, why it poses a hazard, and what to do if you're one among millions who bought this product around the country.
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Nearly 4 million bottles of Airborne Gummies are being recalled.
New Jersey-based manufacturer Reckitt is currently recalling its Airborne Gummies marketed as a tool to support immune health, according to a notice published on the website for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and dated March 16. Only 63- and 75-count bottles of the Airborne Gummies are affected, and this recall covers a whopping 3.74 million units overall.
The company is conducting this recall voluntarily under CPSC's Fast Track Recall process. These recalls are initiated by firms who commit to work with the agency to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers.
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The seal or cap may pop off the bottle, potentially leading to injury.
The product is being recalled because Reckitt has received 70 reports of the cap or seal popping off bottles of the recalled supplements, including 18 reports of minor injuries and one report of an eye injury requiring medical attention.
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Here's how to know if you bought any of the recalled supplements.
The recalled supplements came in blueberry pomegranate, orange, and assorted fruit flavors, and they have posted expiration dates in 2021 and 2022. To determine whether you have any of the affected products at home, check the UPC symbol and lot code on your bottle against the list cited in the recall notice; UPC numbers are located on the product label and lot codes and expiration dates are located on the bottom of the bottle.
The supplements were distributed widely across the U.S. They were sold at Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Sam's Club, BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, Walmart, and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Schiffvitamins.com from May 2020 through February 2022 for between $18 and $33.
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Here's what you should do if you have any of the recalled supplements at home right now.
If you have any unopened bottles of supplements at home now, you should not attempt to open the bottles, according to the recall notice. Instead, you should contact Reckitt to return any unopened bottles and receive a full refund by way of a postage-paid envelope.
You can contact Reckitt toll-free at 888-266-8003 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at Schiffvitamins.com/pages/airborne-recall. You can also go to Schiffvitamins.com and click on "Recalls" at the bottom of the page for more information.
If you have a bottle at home included in the recall and you've already opened it, you may continue using it as normal with no further risk. Since the bottle has already been opened it is not subject to this recall as they would have already released any pressure buildup and no longer present any injury hazard.
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