International Vitamin Corp. Recalls Iron Products That Can Cause Serious Illness

PRODUCT: "Synergy Plus Chewables Vitabots" multiple vitamins and minerals. The product was promoted as a dietary supplement for children over four years of age. Each bottle of Vitabots has 90 light brown colored tablets; each tablet has five milligrams of iron. The supplements were sold nationwide in retail health food and nutrition stores between July 1, 1992 and July 31, 1993.

PROBLEM: The product was not sold in child-resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The lack of child-resistant packaging means that a child could easily access and accidentally swallow the iron tablets. Each bottle of the product contains enough iron that, if consumed by a child at one time, it could cause serious illness requiring hospitalization.

WHAT TO DO: Immediately return the unused portions of any bottles of the recalled Vitabots to the store where purchased for a refund of the purchase price. Consumers can also call the manufacturer at (201) 371-7300 for instructions on where to send the recalled products for a refund, including shipping costs.

WASHINGTON, DC --- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), International Vitamin Corp. (doing business as Synergy Plus), Union, NJ is voluntarily recalling its "SYNERGY PLUS (For Children Over 4 Years) CHEWABLES Vitabots Multiple Vitamins & Minerals with Digestive Enzymes and Oat Bran." This iron-containing vitamin and mineral supplement was not put in child-resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The lack of child-resistant packaging means that a child could easily access and accidentally swallow the iron tablets. Each bottle of the recalled product contains enough iron that, if consumed by a child at one time, it could cause serious illness requiring hospitalization.

The recalled Vitabots Multiple Vitamins & Minerals (for children over 4 years) were sold in amber-colored glass bottles with white screw-on metal caps. Each bottle contains 90 light brown colored tablets with five milligrams (mg) of iron per tablet. The product, wrongly labeled "Non-Toxic," is promoted as a dietary supplement for children over four years of age. The bottle's label also carries the statement "Manufactured by SYNERGY PLUS, Union, N.J. 07083 USA." This recall does not include any other iron-containing products manufactured by International Vitamin Corp.

Approximately 2,500 bottles of the recalled iron products were sold to consumers through retail health food and nutrition stores nationwide between July 1, 1992 and July 31, 1993 for approximately $9.00 - $10.00 per bottle.

Consumers should immediately return the unused portions of any bottles of the recalled Vitabots to the store where purchased for a refund of the purchase price or call International Vitamin Corp. at 201-371-7300 for instructions on where to send the recalled products for a refund, including shipping costs.

Neither International Vitamin Corp. nor the Commission is aware of any poisoning incidents involving the Synergy Plus brand of iron tablets. However, the Commission is aware of several ingestions and at least 25 deaths of children under five years from 1990 - 1992 from iron-containing products not manufactured by Synergy Plus, as reported by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

CPSC became aware of the packaging problem as a result of its ongoing poison prevention packaging inspection program. CPSC enforces the requirement that any dietary supplement containing an equivalent of 250 mg or more of iron per package must have child-resistant packaging.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing this recall as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's mission is to reduce the estimated 28.6 million injuries and 21,700 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.