In the past two months, cautions have been noted surrounding multiple herbal supplements—one report for a study that found some supplements can lead to liver damage, and another for a recall on supplements that may have contained undeclared flours.
Now a June 2 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report puts the spotlight on another product, this time because “Product does not meet label claim for Vitamin E.” Los Angeles-based Sato Pharmaceutical Inc., which appears to have been in operation since 1915, recently recalled 25,130 units of its Energy & Health Herbal Supplement with Vitamins, reportedly branded under the name Yunker.
The supplements were available in three unit sizes:
Single: UPC code 49873-916-11 with January 2027 expiration
3-pack: UPC code 49873-916-15 with January 2027 expiration
10-pack: UPC code 49873-916-07 with March 2026 or December 2027 expiration
The Mayo Clinic calls vitamin E an antioxidant “that’s important for vision, fighting off diseases and the health of the blood, brain, and skin,” and that dietary sources of vitamin E are foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and dairy.
A product label image states that vitamin E amount is 10 IU (international units) from tocopherol acetate, while the Mayo Clinic says, “The recommended daily amount of vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams a day.” A National Institutes of Health site explains the following on converting IU to milligrams:
1 IU of the natural form is equivalent to 0.67 mg of alpha-tocopherol.
1 IU of the synthetic form is equivalent to 0.45 mg of alpha-tocopherol.
From the available product listing, it’s unclear what the source of tocopherol acetate is in this supplement.
The FDA has called this a Class III recall, indicating their lowest determined risk and “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”
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