Fangocur Mineral Drink

Starting date:

June 3, 2009

Posting date:

June 3, 2009

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Issue:

Unauthorized products, Product Safety

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-120001082

• Media enquiries
• Public enquiries

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Source of alert

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), United Kingdom

Product name

Fangocur Mineral Drink

Manufacturer / Place of origin

Fangocur UK, London, United Kingdom

Product description

Fangocur Mineral Drink is promoted as a powdered clay mineral supplement used as a "comprehensive treatment" for a wide variety of ailments.

Reason for warning

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned consumers not to buy or use Fangocur Mineral Drink after tests on the product found dangerous levels of arsenic. The FSA has had two reported illnesses thought to be linked to this drink, with symptoms including dizziness, heart palpitations and stomach cramps.

Ingestion of excessive amounts of arsenic, a heavy metal, poses serious health risks because it may accumulate in vital organs of the body. Children are most susceptible to the toxic effects of heavy metals.

Possible side effects

The toxic effects of arsenic include skin and lung cancers, heart and lung diseases, and brain damage.

What you should do

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

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

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709