Dayquil Liquicaps Cold & Flu Recalled

CNN.com reports that Vicks Dayquil Liquicaps are being recalled as a safety measure due to packaging concerns. Approximately 700,000 of the products that are not child-proof do not contain the required statement, "This package for households without young children." The products mislabeled were the Dayquil Cold & Flu in the 24-count bonus pack only, not the liquid form or other size packages.

The medicine itself is not tainted in any way, yet could be extremely harmful if several pills were ingested by a child, causing "serious health problems or death," according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The medicine affected was sold in the U.S. only between September 2008 and December 2009. Consumers that possess Dayquil Liquicaps purchased during that time that carry the UPC #3 23900 01087 1 may request a refund or manufacturer's coupon by contacting Proctor and Gamble Co at 800-251-3374.

A similar recall was initiated with another cold remedy earlier this month when Bayer voluntarily recalled Alka-Seltzer Plus Day & Night Cold Formula Liquid Gels due to packaging concerns. Labels on a small percentage of the 20-count capsule blister packs were printed in the reverse, but the medicine was not affected in any way. Batches from Lot #296939L with an expiration date of 5/11 were the only products known to have the misprint. Anyone having possession of the Alka-Seltzer Plus from that batch should contact Bayer's Consumer Relations Call Center at 800-986-3307 to inquire about a refund.

Slim-Fast shakes were the subject of a recent recall when it was discovered that some were subject to bacterial contamination which may cause gastric distress. Unilever issued the voluntary recall of all shakes in the 11oz cans from store shelves, storage and customer's homes as a precautionary measure, regardless of batch number or date of manufacture. Customers may request a full refund by calling 800-896-9479.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration maintains an active list of current recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts, to include manufacturer's voluntary press releases, at fda.gov. Archived information of recalls from the last five years is also maintained. Concerned consumers may also get up-to-date information on product recalls by following FDArecalls on Twitter.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/18/vicks.recall/index.html
http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/default.htm