Many of us take at least one supplement daily for our health. But in some cases, they can end up doing more harm than good. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already had to warn consumers about several supplement recalls this year. Male enhancement capsules were recalled in February for unapproved ingredients, while several TruVision dietary supplement products were also affected in April for the same reason. Now, officials are warning about iron supplements that could be a safety concern for different reasons. Read on to find out more about the latest supplement recall.
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Officials are warning about a new iron supplement recall.
CPSCIn a June 22 alert, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers about a new supplement recall.
According to the CPSC, Nationwide Pharmaceutical is recalling some of its Ferrous Sulfate Enteric-Coated Tablets. The products in question contain 324 milligrams of ferrous sulfate (or iron), and are in 100-tablet bottles. A total of about 4,000 units were affected by the recall.
The products were sold at several major retailers.
ShutterstockYou may have picked up these iron supplements at any number of retailers, including Albertsons, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens, according to the CPSC. The impacted products were available to purchase at these stores nationwide from Dec. 2022 through Jan. 2023 for about $6 per bottle.
"'Nationwide Pharmaceutical' and its logo are printed on the top left of the bottle’s label panel," the alert added. "The recalled bottles include lot numbers M0786, M0816, M0817 and M0818, which are printed on the bottom of the bottle."
They were recalled over safety concerns.
iStockNationwide Pharmaceutical is recalling its Ferrous Sulfate Enteric-Coated Tablets because they don't meet certain safety requirements. The dietary supplements contain iron, so they are supposed to be in child-resistant packaging as part of federal standards set by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA).
"Iron-containing drugs and dietary supplements that contain 250 mg or more elemental iron have required special packaging since 1978," the CPSC explains on its website.
According to the agency, iron has been responsible for numerous poisoning deaths, but many consumers may be unaware about the toxicity of iron. The packaging for the recalled Nationwide Pharmaceutical iron supplements "is not child-resistant, posing a risk of poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children," the CPSC's alert stated.
You can get a refund if you bought these iron supplements.
iStockSo far, there have been no incidents or injuries reported as a result of Nationwide Pharmaceutical's lack of child-resistant packaging. But that doesn't mean you should just ignore the company's recall.
"Consumers should immediately store the recalled dietary supplements in a safe location out of reach and sight of children," the CPSC advised.
The agency said that consumers with the recalled supplements can also contact Nationwide Pharmaceutical to receive information on how they can dispose of the product. If you want to get a refund for it, you can return the supplements to the retailer you purchased them from.
