Tainted Turmeric Supplements

[Guest guest]

Below is an article from Nutraingredients.com warning on two brands of turmeric

from California.

 

Tainted turmeric supplements linked to Scandinavian deaths

By Shane Starling, 23-Mar-2009

Related topics: Botanicals, Regulation, Phytochemicals, plant extracts

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned the UK public to avoid a brand of

turmeric food supplements containing a drug called nimesulide after it was

linked to two deaths and several liver damage cases in Scandinavia.

The product in question, branded as Fortodol or Leppin Miradin, drew the

attention of medical agencies after 11 liver-related adverse event reports in

Sweden and a further five in Norway, including the deaths.

Nimesulide is not authorised as a medicine in the UK.

In response, the FSA said in a statement on Friday: “There have been no

reports of liver failure or illness linked with these products in the UK. As a

precautionary measure, however, these products have been voluntarily withdrawn

from sale by the two main importers and recall notices will be placed in the

shops selling these supplements.â€

Fortodol and Miradin are usually sold in the UK via the internet as food

supplements, often accompanied by unsubstantiated claims to relieve arthritis,

muscle pains and headaches.

The products are made by a Californian company called Donsbach, which typically

exports the products to Sweden before they are shipped throughout Europe.

One of the Swedish cases involved a fatal liver failure which is under

investigation by the Swedish Medical Products Agency. The Norwegian Medical

Products Agency is conducting investigations of its own.

The FSA warning has been backed by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products

Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which, as its name suggests, governs medicines in the

UK.

Nimesulide is an anti-inflammatory drug known to cause liver problems.

“Consumption of products that may contain undeclared and uncontrolled amounts

of nimesulide represents a significant risk,†the MHRA said.

A similar scare in Hungary was given the all-clear by the regulator there after

investigations revealed a lack of nimesulide at hazardous levels.