The Foods Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has ordered a recall of all products made by Australian supplement and pharmaceuticals maker Pan Pharmaceuticals available on the Irish market after the company saw more than 1500 products recalled from its home market during the last six weeks.
Pan Pharmaceuticals produced a variety of medicines and food supplements and the FSAI said it is working in collaboration with the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) on the recall, which involves both medicinal products and food supplements, including vitamins and minerals.
While in Australia the recall involved more than 1500 products, the FSAI has cross-referenced the comprehensive list supplied by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) against its own food supplements database and identified only 10 products containing Pan Pharmaceuticals ingredients.
The manufacturing licence of Pan Pharmaceuticals was suspended for a period of six months with effect from 28 April 2003 by Australian regulatory authority the TGA following audits at the company which highlighted serious control deficiencies in the company's manufacturing process.
The FSAI is also issuing advice to consumers not to use any Pan Pharmaceuticals products they may already have.
Some food supplements manufactured by Pan Pharmaceuticals are also known to be available in Ireland and the FSAI says it has asked the relevant industry and trade associations to instruct an immediate product recall.
Products so far identified include Kordel Megatime Multi Tablets 30's; Kordel Sport Multi Tablets 30's; Thompson Nutrition Femmeforte Women's Multi Tablets; Thompson Nutrition Calcium for Women Multi Tablets; Thompson Nutrition Menopause Support Capsules; Thompson Nutrition Men's Multi Tablets; Thompson Nutrition Cod Liver Oil Capsules; Thompson Nutrition Skin Hair & Nail Capsules; Healthwise Dolomite; and Healthwise Space Vits.
All companies involved in the recall have co-operated fully, said the FSAI. However, according to Alan Reilly, deputy chief executive at the FSAI, there is a risk that some of Pan Pharmaceuticals' products made for other companies under contract could have been distributed in Ireland under other brand names and may not carry the Pan Pharmaceuticals name.
"These products are also subject to the same recall and we are requesting that all retailers of food supplements, vitamin and mineral products check with their suppliers to ensure none of their products have been sourced from Pan Pharmaceuticals," said Reilly.
Further information on the recall is available on the FSAI website.