The company recall was posted on the Food and Drug Administration website and relates to just one product – Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C.
The company put the problem down to a contract manufacturer that which also manufactured soy protein-based products.
It said no adverse events had been recorded due to the contaminated products.
The recall stated: “It has come to Garden of Life’s attention that one of our unaffiliated third party manufacturers for this product also processes soy in its facilities. Because Raw Vitamin C does not utilize any ingredients originally derived from soy, we were surprised to learn that some bottles of our Raw Vitamin C tested positive for significant amounts of soy proteins.”
“All Lots of Raw Vitamin C distributed between March 2009 and January 2011 or remaining in expiry are subject to this voluntary recall.”
New food and drug attorney Marc Ullman commented that the voluntary recall reflected a new post-GMP climate that was, “evidence of the zero tolerance policy for major allergens.”
Garden of Life said Raw Vitamin C consumers who, “are sensitive to soy should stop taking the product.”
It added: “According to the FDA less than 0.2% of children and adults are sensitive to soy. Further, most people outgrow the allergy after early childhood; however, adults allergic to soy may experience upset stomach, discomfort, and, in rare cases, serious and life threatening allergic reactions.”