Did you know that Health Canada maintains a vigorous set of standards when it comes to the manufacture and sale of health-related products? Health Canada’s “good manufacturing” practices help ensure that manufacturers of natural health products such as supplements and herbal remedies are held to certain standards for:
- quality assurance,
- product testing,
- manufacturing,
- storage, and
- distribution.
When manufacturers fail to abide by these standards, heavy metal contamination can occur, causing you and your loved ones discomfort or illness. Consumers should be especially wary of products ordered online.
We all want our families to be safe and healthy. A lot of the time, homeopathic and herbal remedies are great alternatives to traditional medicine. However, this is not always the case! The lesson? Be vigilant.
How Can I Tell if My Products Are Safe?
If you’re a Canadian who regularly purchases naturopathic medicines, it might be a good idea to take a few moments to scan the contents of your medicine cabinet to make sure that all of your bottles are marked with an eight-digit Drug ID Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Drug ID Number for Homeopathic Medicine (DIN-HM), which indicate the product has been assessed as safe for consumer purchase by Health Canada.
Current Recall Notice
A company called Wild Vineyard is unauthorized to manufacture, package, label or import natural health products in Canada. For more information and a list of recalled products, visit Health Canada’s Advisory, here.
Related website: United States Food & Drug Administration Consumer Education: What You Need to Know to Use Medicine Safely
(January’s challenge is up at BlogHers ACT Canada! This month we are eating meatless meals at least once a week. I urge you to join us!)
