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Jan 21, 2024

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Recalled Due to Potential Foreign Material Contamination

JP Yim/Getty Images Vital Proteins initiated a voluntary recall of its Vital

JP Yim/Getty Images

Vital Proteins initiated a voluntary recall of its Vital Proteins Collagen Peptide supplements, sold at Costco between April 17 and April 23, the company said in a notice to Costco customers, dated April 28. Vital Proteins is owned by Nestlé Health Science.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly 60,000 24-ounce plastic canisters of the supplement were recalled by the company. The recall was initiated on April 21 and is ongoing.

The voluntary recall affects only a single batch code of the product, and is due to potential foreign material contamination. It's further clarified that pieces of one broken blue lid may be in some affected canisters.

The affected products have the batch code 30095993HA, and have a best by date of 01-09-2028. The UPC code is: 8 57273 00866 6. No other Vital Proteins products or code dates have been affected by this issue or recall.

Vital Proteins said no injuries have been reported in relation to this recall, and the potential risk to consumers is low. The voluntary recall is out of an abundance of caution.

The products were distributed to retail locations in Puerto Rico and the following states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. It was reported that the product was also sold online by a consignee.

Though many notable food recalls in the recent past have been due to bacteria, like Salmonella, E.coli, or listeria, foreign material contamination can also be harmful to human health. The FDA specified that this is a class II recall, which means the product could cause reversible medical issues, or the likelihood of any serious health consequence is remote.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service found that "extraneous material" or foreign materials in food was the third leading cause of food recalls.

According to the FDA's Compliance Policy Guides, hard or sharp foreign objects in food may cause traumatic injury to any part of the digestive system, including the mouth, tongue, throat, stomach, and intestines, as well as the teeth and gums. These injuries may include laceration or perforation.

However, it was noted that foreign objects that are less than 7 millimeters large rarely cause trauma or serious injury. The exception there is for special risk groups, including infants, patients who have undergone a surgical procedure, or the elderly.

Costco customers are being instructed not to consume the supplements if they have a 24-ounce canister with the impacted date and batch code at home, and to dispose of the product immediately.

Customers may also return the product to Costco for a full refund, can contact the company's Customer Advocacy Team at 313-887-0668, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time.

Food and Drug Administration. Product details.

Food and Drug Administration. Recalls background and definitions.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Summary of recall and PHA casesss in calendar year 2022.

Food and Drug Administration. CPG Sec. 555.425 Foods, Adulteration Involving hard or Sharp Foreign Objects.