Joyful Slim Herb Supplement

Starting date:

September 20, 2010

Posting date:

September 20, 2010

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Issue:

Undeclared Substance, Product Safety

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-120001285

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

J & H Besta Corp. of Hicksville, New York, U.S.>

Product Description

Joyful Slim Herb Supplement is promoted as a natural herbal weight loss supplement. It comes packaged in plastic bottles containing 30 capsules per bottle and bears UPC 8 97966 00200 7.

Reason for Warning

The U.S. FDA informed consumers of a recall of one lot (#101408) of Joyful Slim Herb Supplement after FDA tests found it to contain undeclared desmethyl sibutramine. The lot is being voluntarily recalled nationwide in the U.S. by the company J & H Besta Corp. Desmethyl sibutramine is an unauthorized substance similar to sibutramine, a prescription drug used to treat obesity, and may pose similar health risks. Sibutramine should only be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner. According to the company-issued news release, the product was sold to distributors and retail stores nationwide and via Internet sales. Consumers are advised to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund, and to contact Jason Wang at 877-547-5468 with questions.

Possible Side-Effects

Side-effects associated with sibutramine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping and constipation.

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