Advisory - St. Francis Herb Farm "Bulklax V" and "All Seasons Detox Kit" recalled due to high levels of lead and/or arsenic

OTTAWA, April 15, 2015 /CNW/ -

The issue:

In consultation with Health Canada, St. Francis Herb Farm Inc. is voluntarily recalling two products, "Bulklax V" and "All Seasons Detox Kit," after they were found to contain unacceptably high levels of lead and/or arsenic.

Bulklax V is promoted as an herbal laxative for use in adults and children aged six years and older, and was found to contain high levels of lead and arsenic. The All Seasons Detox Kit is promoted as an herbal detox kit for use by adults and was found to contain high levels of lead. Lead and arsenic are heavy metals and can pose serious health risks when too much is ingested, particularly to children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Products affected:                  

Who is affected: Consumers and caregivers who have purchased or used these products. Children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women are most susceptible to the toxic effects of lead and arsenic.

What consumers should do:

• Speak to your healthcare practitioner if you have used either of these products and have concerns about your or your child's health.
• Report any adverse events to Health Canada.

What Health Canada is doing:
St. Francis Herb Farm Inc. is voluntarily recalling these products, which were distributed to individuals and retail stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Health Canada is monitoring the recall and will inform Canadians should new information become available.

Background:
During product testing initiated by the company, lead at over seven times the acceptable limit and arsenic at over twice the acceptable limit was found in Bulklax V, and lead at over twice the acceptable limit was found in the All Seasons Detox Kit.

Ingestion of excessive amounts of heavy metals such as lead or arsenic poses serious health risks because the metals may accumulate in vital organs of the body. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women are most susceptible to the toxic effects.

The toxic effects of lead include abdominal pain, anemia, appetite loss, constipation, fatigue, sleeplessness, irritability and headache, changes in blood pressure, reproductive effects such as miscarriage, weakness, concentration problems, weight loss, dizziness, and kidney and brain damage.

For pregnant women, consumption of products with higher levels of arsenic may increase risk of pre-term birth, stillbirth and miscarriage. Children and adults who are exposed to arsenic may experience side-effects such as stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramping, weakness, skin rash, numbness or tingling and loss of movement.

How to report side effects to health products to Health Canada:

• Call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345
• Visit MedEffect Canada's web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax.

Stay connected with Health Canada and receive the latest advisories and product recalls using social media tools.

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SOURCE Health Canada

PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/04/15/20150415_C5505_PDF_EN_14314.pdf