NEED TO KNOW
Vitaquest voluntarily recalled over 350,000 products due to non-child-resistant packaging that poses poisoning risks for children
Impacted items include prenatal vitamins, bariatric supplements, and a kids’ decaf coffee alternative sold online and in stores
Customers can request replacement child-resistant packaging by contacting Vitaquest via phone or email
More than 350,000 iron-fortified vitamins and supplements have been recalled due to the packaging, which a government agency says presents a “risk of serious injury or death.”
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the April 9 recall of the products, which are manufactured by Vitaquest and sold under the names Arey, Bari Life, Bird&Be, Biote, Dr. Fuhrman, NuLife, HMR, Bariatric Pal, Noevir, Zenbean, and Sakara.
Because the pills contain iron, they “must be in child-resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act,” the recall said. “The packaging of the supplements is not child-resistant, posing a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children.”
As the National Library of Medicine points out, “When taken in excess … iron is far more dangerous than most prescription medications … as few as 10 ferrous sulfate tablets (total of 600 mg elemental iron) can kill a small child. Indeed, iron is one of the leading causes of poisoning-related death in children.”
Arey supplements are a part of the recall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says
Credit: CPSC
PEOPLE reached out to Vitaquest for comment, but they did not immediately respond. In a statement on the company website, Vitaquest said it was voluntarily recalling the impacted lots “to protect young children from the risk that they will get access to the products and ingest more than directed.”
The company said that “The only issue is with the packaging, and specifically, that the packaging is not child-resistant. There are no issues with the product formulation, ingredient quality, or anything else.”
“There have been no reported incidents or injuries,” per the statement. Approximately 356,140 units are impacted, the recall says, which includes prenatal vitamins, supplements for those who’ve undergone bariatric sleeve or band surgery — and a decaf instant coffee alternative that’s marketed to children, Zenbean Kids Café Instant Coffee + Nutrition Latte in Original, Caramel, Chocolate and Vanilla flavors.
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The products were sold from April 2023 through February 2026 at brick-and-mortar stores like Credo Beauty, Erewhon, Healf, Nutrition World, The Vitamin Shoppe, Fullscript and Ulta Beauty stores, as well as online at individual brand sites and Amazon for between $13 and $130.
Those who’ve purchased a version of the product without the required packaging are advised to contact the company for a replacement cap or storage pouch either by phone (844-298-4545) or via email at productsafety@vitaquest.com.
A full list of the impacted products with their UPC codes and expiration dates can be found on the recall notice on the Consumer Product Safety website.
Read the original article on People