Vita Breath

Foreign Product Alert
2010-104
June 16, 2010
For immediate release

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use the products specified below due to concerns about possible side-effects. More info

Source of Alert

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Product Names

Vita Breath

Manufacturer / Place of Origin

American Herbal Lab Inc. of Rosemead, California, USA

Product Description

Vita Breath is promoted as an herbal dietary supplement. According to the company's Web site, www.newvita.com, the product is promoted for improvement of health in people with asthma, and to support a healthy "lung energy" and respiratory system.

According to the FDA news release, the product is marketed at health fairs in the U.S. and on the Internet.

Reason for Warning

The U.S. FDA warned consumers not to buy or consume Vita Breath because it may contain hazardous levels of lead, which is a heavy metal.

Following a report of lead poisoning in a patient using Vita Breath, the FDA analyzed samples and found it to contain lead at levels 10,000 times higher than the FDA's maximum recommended level for lead in candy.

The amount of lead in the sample exceeds Health Canada limits as well.

Ingestion of excessive amounts of heavy metals poses serious health risks because they 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 lead include abdominal pain, anemia, changes in blood pressure, reproductive disorders such as miscarriage, weakness, concentration problems, weight loss, insomnia, dizziness, and kidney and brain damage.

-30-

---

Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

For more details on these Foreign Product Alerts, please visit the Health Canada Web site.

---

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.

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.

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.

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.

For more information about the information contained in this advisory, please contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991 or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

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.