FDA: Iron Supplement Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a consumer warning for Rugby Natural Ferrous Sulfate Iron Supplement, manufactured by Advance Pharmaceutical Inc.

Iron is an essential mineral and an important component of proteins involved in oxygen transport and metabolism. The World Health Organization considers iron deficiency to be the largest international nutritional disorder. A vegan diet in particular leads to a strongly increased risk of deficiencies of minerals, such as calcium, iron, and zinc.

Recently, a pharmacist found 25 milligram Meclizine Hydrochloride tablets in one of the iron supplement bottles. Meclizine Hydrochloride may lead to adverse side effects when taken with alcohol or other sedatives, and also in individuals with nervous system diseases, the elderly and nursing infants. Meclizine Hydrochloride may cause drowsiness, confusion, coma, drop in blood pressure, and difficulty breathing.

Advance Pharmaceutical Inc. recalled one lot of the iron supplements.

Any consumer in possession of lot number 12G468 of the Rugby Natural Ferrous Sulfate Iron Supplement should discard the product immediately. Any negative side effects should be reported to a healthcare provider and the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

For more information about iron supplementation, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References

1. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. 
   
2. US Food and Drug Administration. www.fda.gov