Iovate Health Sciences Adds Hydroxycut-Branded Product Universal Product Codes to Recall

CONTACT: JAMIE MOSS 201-493-1027

IOVATE HEALTH SCIENCES USA, INC. OF BLASDELL, NEW YORK AND ONTARIO, CANADA ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS ADDING UNIVERSAL PRODUCT CODES (UPCS) WITH RESPECT TO THE RECALLED HYDROXYCUT-BRANDED PRODUCTS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE ADDITIONS ALL INVOLVE ADDITIONAL PACKAGES AND SIZES OF PRODUCTS PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED.

IOVATE INITIATED A VOLUNTARY RECALL WHEN IT BECAME AWARE THAT THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION’S ASSESSMENT OF 23 REPORTS ABOUT CONSUMERS HAVING EXPERIENCED LIVER-RELATED PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS A SMALL NUMBER OF PUBLISHED CASE REPORTS, WAS DIFFERENT FROM IOVATE’S ANALYSIS.  ON MAY 1, 2009, THE FDA ISSUED AN ADVISORY WHICH STATES THAT, “ALTHOUGH THE LIVER DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE RELATIVELY RARE, FDA BELIEVES CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO UNNECESSARY RISK.”  THE NUMBER OF ADVERSE EVENT REPORTS DESCRIBED BY THE FDA IS SMALL RELATIVE TO THE MANY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED HYDROXYCUT PRODUCTS OVER THE 7 YEARS REFERENCED BY THE FDA.  IOVATE’S OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THESE PRODUCTS DIFFERS FROM THAT EXPRESSED BY THE AGENCY.  EVERY PRODUCT MARKETED BY IOVATE IS EVALUATED DURING ITS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SAFETY OF ITS INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS.  ADDITIONALLY, INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS FROM THE LEADING INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC FIRM SPECIALIZING IN INGREDIENT ASSESSMENT, TOXICOLOGY AND PRODUCT SAFETY FOR THE NUTRITIONAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY REVIEW THE SAFETY OF IOVATE’S INGREDIENTS AND FORMULAS BEFORE PRODUCTS ARE INTRODUCED IN THE MARKETPLACE.  ONLY AFTER THIS EXTERNAL REVIEW IS COMPLETED DOES IOVATE RELEASE A FORMULA.

HOWEVER, OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AND BECAUSE CONSUMER SAFETY IS IOVATE’S TOP PRIORITY, IOVATE IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING THESE HYDROXYCUT-BRANDED PRODUCTS.

CONSUMERS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECALL CAN VISIT WWW.HYDROXYCUTINFORMATION.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.  CONSUMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE COMPANY BY CALLING 1-877-468-2835 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 5 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME.