Business & Tech

Recall of Supplements Expands

East Northport company says FDA action will force it out of business.

The recall of vitamin supplements manufactured on Long Island and suspected of including anabolic steroids has expanded to more products.

The Food and Drug Administration said that Purity First Products of East Northport is recalling one lot of Healthy Life Chemistry Multi-Mineral (200 capsules) and all lot numbers for Healthy Life Chemistry Vitamin C (200 capsules). Recalled earlier were two lots of Healthy Life Chemistry B-50 (100 capsules), because of adverse reactions caused by steroids.

Meanwhile, Purity First, the East Northport company that sells and distributes the product, said the FDA action is forcing it to close its doors after 23 years in business. Candice Tripp, president of Purity First said the company had been working with the FDA since February to identify the problem with the product, which was manufactured for her company by Mira Health Products Ltd. in Farmingdale. 

But reports about problems with Purity's products has hurt her business, she said. "I believe it's just the government looking to find to a way to get vitamins to be prescription only so the pharmaceutical companies can control it.  Here I am, going out of business. This has devastated me. Fewer and fewer people are calling our business."

Tripp said the FDA sent out a press release saying she was non-compliant with a request that she issue a recall, but said she had been working with the agency all along and was on vacation when the FDA recall notice came in. 

She said customers and others had emailed to say that the contamination results from pesticide use, not steroids. 

The FDA identified the recalled products as:

  • B-50, 100 capsule bottles, lot numbers F03Q and C02R
  • Multi-Mineral, 200 capsule bottles, lot number 12-829
  • Vitamin C, 200 capsule bottles, lot number E03Q

The agency said the products  were distributed nationwide via the internet and at   stores between July 2012 through June 2013. It said that use of the product should be discontinued immediately and returned to the place of purchase. 

The FDA said it has received reports of 29 adverse incidents associated with the use of the product. These reports include fatigue, muscle cramping, and muscle pain, as well as abnormal laboratory findings for liver and thyroid function, and cholesterol levels.  

The North Shore-LIJ Health System said the FDA action was the result of research done by Dr. Ken Spaeth, its director of occupational and environmental medicine.  After studying about 20 patients with a variety of symptoms and conducting lab research, Spaeth found the steroids and notified the FDA in March of his findings.

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