Even if you're focused on eating a balanced diet, taking daily vitamins and supplements can be an easy way to ensure you're getting all the nutrients you need. Whether you're looking to improve gut health, boost your immune system, or maximize your workouts, the pills and powders can often be a simple and convenient way to see results. But before you reach for your daily dose, you might want to be aware that vitamins sold nationwide were just recalled due to health concerns. Read on to see if you're affected by the announcement and what you should do if you have the product in your medicine cabinet.
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Vitamins sold in stores and online across the U.S. were just recalled.
iStockOn April 22, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Wisconsin-based EuroPharma, Inc. had issued a voluntary recall for its Terry Naturally BioActive Vitamin B and EuroMedica Active B Complex 60 products. Both items were sold in 60-count bottles nationwide through retail stores, mail orders, and direct deliveries to consumers.
Affected Terry Naturally product can be identified by the UPC 3 67703 18006 5 and includes bottles with lot number 1220022 and best-by date of Oct. 2022; lot number 0921231 and best-by date of July 2023; lot number 0222192 and best-by date of Jan. 2024; and lot number 0223570 with a best-by date of Dec. 2024. The recalled EuroMedica vitamins have the UPC 3 67703 68006 0, as well as lot number 1220019 with a best-by date of Nov. 2022; lot number 0921232 with a best-by date of July 2023; and lot number 0222190 with a best-by date of Jan. 2024.
An undeclared allergen poses a potentially serious health risk for some people.
Tero Vesalainen / ShutterstockThe recall notice states that the company pulled the vitamins from the market after discovering they contained an ingredient as an excipient—which is used as a preservative or coloring agent—with an undeclared milk allergen. They warn that those with "an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products."
Milk is one of several ingredients covered in the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act (FASTER), which went into effect at the beginning of this year. The legislation requires that product labels declare potentially sensitive ingredients on their packaging, including shellfish, tree nuts, fish, egg, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
Here's what you should do if you have the recalled vitamins at home.
Shutterstock/Vladimir SukhachevAccording to the recall notice, there have been no illnesses reported related to the products. But anyone who purchased the affected items is advised to throw them away or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
Anyone with questions or concerns can also reach EuroPharma, Inc. by calling the hotline or contacting the email address listed on the recall notice.
This isn't the only recent vitamin or supplement-related recall.
Dean Drobot / ShutterstockBecause they're subject to the same rules as food and over-the-count drug products, vitamins and supplements sometimes get flagged for safety issues. And lately, there have been a few instances when these types of products were pulled from shelves.
On Feb. 13, the FDA announced that supplement company Volt Candy had issued a voluntary recall for one lot of its PrimeZEN Black 6000 male enhancement capsules. According to the notice, the pills were pulled after it was discovered they contained sildenafil and tadalafil, which are phosphodiesterase (PDE-5) inhibitors that require specific FDA approval for inclusion. The products pose a serious health risk to people who take nitrates for the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease, warning the ingredients could create a dangerous interaction that could lead to a potentially life-threatening drop in blood pressure.
Then, on March 8, the agency released a notice that the Natural Solutions Foundation had recalled its Dr. Rima Recommends Nano Silver 10ppm dietary supplement. The move came a year after the company received a federal court order to stop selling and distributing the product because it made unsubstantiated claims that it could be used to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19. The notice warned that "consumers who use this product instead of seeking timely medical treatment run the risk of serious, life-threatening health consequences."
And even animals have been affected: On March 10, the FDA announced that Stratford Care USA, Inc. was pulling its Omega-3 pet Supplements sold under 61 different brand names. The items were originally sold nationwide through retailers and online by Amazon and pet-focused website Chewy. The company pulled the products after discovering they could contain elevated levels of vitamin A, which can lead to symptoms such as "general malaise, anorexia, nausea, peeling skin, weakness, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and death" in animals.
