Slim Fast, other supplements recalled

Executive Summary

Supplement firm Universal ABC Beauty Supply International voluntarily recalls 34 products found by FDA to contain an undeclared substance, sibutramine, a prescription weight-loss drug, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company says in an April 20 release. The products, including Slim Fast, ProSlim, and Slim 3in1 formulas, have not been approved by the agency and the ingredient is known to potentially cause cardiovascular issues in some users, the firm notes. When FDA announed a crackdown on adulterated weight-loss products in January, the agency warned that selling unapproved drugs may lead to criminal action, though it did not identify the firms suspected of marketing the products (1"The Tan Sheet" Jan. 5, 2009, p. 8). Universal's recalled products were on FDA's list of more than 70 products identified as tainted with undeclared drugs. Only three products had been recalled through April 8, FDA said