New drug recall: 67 medicines might be contaminated

Pill bottles containing various prescription drugs on a table

Image: Eric Hood/Adobe

Vi-Jon issued a recall a few weeks ago for various laxative products, warning that the drugs might have been contaminated with bacteria. The company then expanded the recall a few days ago to include 63 different types of laxatives that were available from various pharmacies.

Now, the company issued another update the add four more variants of the drug. As a result, the Vi-Jon result now covers 67 different medicines.

Vi-Jon’s laxative recall

Vi-Jon issued the original recall on July 14th, after third-party microbial testing found certain medicines were contaminated with the Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens bacteria. The company then updated the recall action on July 25th.

Now, the company has expanded the recall again to include products from Canada and Panama. The new press release is available from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at this link.

The recall now includes all lots of Cherry Flavor and Grape Flavor of Magnesium Citrate Saline Laxative Oral Solution, 10 FL OZ (296 mL) within expiry.

Vi-Jon laxative recall: The label of a product variant sold with Life branding from the August update. Image source: FDA

List of recalled Vi-Jon laxative products

You’ll find in the list below the 63 variants of Vi-Jon laxatives the company listed in the late July recall update. Vi-Jon sold these products in the US:

BEST CHOICE 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 63941-533-38, UPC: 70038200499
BEST CHOICE 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 63941-516-38, UPC: 70038587903
BEST CHOICE 10OZ GRAPE CITRATE – NDC: 63941-162-38, UPC: 70038662204
CARE ONE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 72476-001-38, UPC: 341520313226
CARE ONE 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 72476-002-38, UPC: 341520000553
CARIBA 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 67860-166-38, UPC: 646702057012
CRUZ BLANC 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: N/A, UPC: 308697403082
CVS 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 63868-929-38, UPC: 50428335178
CVS 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 69842-983-38, UPC: 50428305942
CVS 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 69842-647-38, UPC: 50428297339
CVS 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 69842-647-38, UPC: 50428285152
CVS 10OZ CLR GRAPE CITRATE – NDC: 69842-763-38, UPC: 50428307458
CVS 10OZ CLR GRAPE CITRATE – NDC: 69842-763-38, UPC: 50428325032
DISCOUNT DRUG MART 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 53943-166-38, UPC: 93351028205
EQUALINE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 41163-709-38, UPC: 41163500679
EQUALINE 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 41163-769-38, UPC: 41163500686
EQUATE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT SRP – NDC: 49035-506-38, UPC: 681131287142
EQUATE 10OZ CHERRY CIT SRP – NDC: 49035-593-38, UPC: 681131287166
EQUATE 10OZ GRAPE MAG CIT SRP – NDC: 49035-592-38, UPC: 681131287159
EXCHANGE SELECT 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 55301-166-38, UPC: 614299404205
FAMILY WELLNESS 10OZ LEMON CITRATE – NDC: 55319-666-38, UPC: 32251580826
FAM WELLNS 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 55319-164-38, UPC: 32251577888
GOOD SENSE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 50804-166-38, UPC: 846036007374
GOOD SENSE 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 50804-164-38, UPC: 846036007398
HARRIS TEETER 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 72036-002-38, UPC: 72036726124
HEB 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 37808-769-38, UPC: 41220510863
HEB 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 37808-673-38, UPC: 41220510870
HEB 10OZ GRAPE MAG CITRATE – NDC: 37808-695-38, UPC: 41220510887
HEALTH MART 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 62011-0380-1, UPC: 52569142158
HEALTH MART 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 62011-0381-1, UPC: 52569142165
KROGER 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 30142-899-38, UPC: 41260001826
KROGER 10OZ GRAPE CITRATE – NDC: 30142-806-38, UPC: 41260008719
LEADER 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 70000-0424-1, UPC: 96295135541
LEADER 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 70000-0575-1, UPC: 96295141061
LEADER 10OZ GRAPE MAG CIT – NDC: 70000-0576-1, UPC: 96295141054
MAJOR 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 0904-6787-44, UPC: 309046787440
MEIJER 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 41250-708-38, UPC: 713733459457
MEIJER 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 41250-769-38, UPC: 713733459440
PREMIER VALUE 10OZ LOW SOD LEM CIT – NDC: 68016-696-38, UPC: 840986035302
PREMIER VALUE 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 68016-701-38, UPC: 840986035296
PUBLIX 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 56062-266-38, UPC: 41415506732
PUBLIX 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 56062-264-38, UPC: 41415505735
QUALITY CHOICE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 63868-929-38, UPC: 635515901254
QUALITY CHOICE 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 63868-018-38, UPC: 635515901117
REXALL 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 55910-183-38, UPC: 72785134188
REXALL 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 55910-961-38, UPC: 72785134164
REXALL 10OZ GRAPE MAG CIT – NDC: 55910-615-38, UPC: 72785134171
RITE AID 10OZ LEMON CITRATE – NDC: 11822-4330-2, UPC: 11822433006
RITE AID 10OZ CHERRY CITRATE – NDC: 11822-4303-2, UPC: 11822433037
SIGNATURE CARE 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 21130-709-38, UPC: 321130779155
SIGNATURE CARE 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 21130-165-38, UPC: 321130789710
SOUND BODY 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 50594-166-38, UPC: 72785114791
SUNMARK 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 70677-0051-1, UPC: 10939908445
SUNMARK 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 70677-0053-1, UPC: 10939910448
SWAN 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 0869-0166-38, UPC: 72785134058
SWAN 10OZ CHRY CITRATE – NDC: 0869-0164-38, UPC: 308690693381
TOPCARE 10OZ LEMON MAG CITRATE – NDC: 36800-709-38, UPC: 36800455290
TOPCARE 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 36800-164-38, UPC: 36800455306
UP&UP 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 11673-708-38, UPC: 72785128835
UP&UP 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 11673-666-38, UPC: 72785128835
WALGREENS 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – NDC: 0363-8166-38, UPC: 311917201603
WALGREENS 10OZ CHERRY CIT – NDC: 0363-8164-38, UPC: 311917201580
WALGREENS 10OZ GRAPE MAG CIT – NDC: 0363-7162-38, UPC: 311917201597

Updates to the list

Vi-Jon has now added five laxative variants to the recall list. Four were available in Canada, and the fifth was sold in Panama.

Canada:

Equate Canada 300 mL Lemon Magnesium Citrate – NPN: 80015316, UPC:79068004923
Life 300 mL Lemon Magnesium Citrat – NPN: 80015316, UPC:57800856412
Life 300 mL Cherry Magnesium Citrate – NPN: 80015316, UPC:57800856405
Personnelle 300 mL Lemon Citrate – NPN: 80015316, UPC:55989029306

Panama

CRUZ BLANC 10OZ LEMON MAG CIT – UPC: 308697403082

The math might not seem to add up, as the lists above contain a total of 68 medicines. However, the Panama version of the drug (UPC 308697403082) appeared in the July 25th update that had 63 entries.

The new recall announcement lists it separately, as the company separated the medicine variants by country. But it’s the same drug as the one in the earlier recall.

Vi-Jon laxative recall: The label of a product variant sold with Equate branding from the August update. Image source: FDA

Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens infections

People who consume the laxatives from the recall risk infection with Gluconacetobacter. Vi-Jon explains in the updated recall announcement that immunocompromised people are at risk of an invasive infection that can be deadly.

The company has so far received three reports of serious adverse reactions that might be connected to the oral laxative in the recall.

What you should do

Vi-Jon continues to urge customers not to use any of the laxative medicine in the recall. Buyers should return any supply they might have to the store where it was purchased.

Moreover, customers who have experienced any sort of adverse reactions after consuming these laxatives should check in with their doctors.

Finally, you should read the full press release for the Vi-Jon recall update. It’s available at this link, complete with contact information and additional product images. Furthermore, the July 25th recall update is available over here, containing more imagery for the 63 medicines that Vi-Jon included in that earlier recall list.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.