Over 350,000 bottles of dietary supplements containing iron have been recalled across the United States due to serious poisoning risks identified by investigators.

The recall was initiated by Vitaquest International, the company behind popular brands such as Barilife, Arey, and NuLife. The decision came after it was discovered that the packaging of these supplements was not resistant to children.

Health authorities have expressed concerns that this packaging flaw could lead to accidental overdoses among children, potentially resulting in significant injuries or even fatalities.

These supplements were available for purchase from April 2023 through February 2026, with prices ranging from $13 to $130 per bottle.

Consumers could find these products at major retailers, including Erewhon, Vitamin Shoppe, and Amazon.

The brands under which these iron supplements were marketed include Arey, Bari Life, Bird&Be, Biote, Dr. Fuhrman, NuLife, HMR, Bariatric Pal, Noevir, Zenbean, and Sakara.

No injuries or illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers have been urged to keep the products out of reach of children and to contact the manufacturer for a child-resistant cap or pouch.

A recall has been issued for iron-containing dietary supplements sold in multiple grocery stores (stock image)

Consumers may also consider throwing out the recalled products immediately or returning them to stores for a full refund.

A full list of the lot codes affected has been published on the website of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which revealed the recall.

The agency said: ‘The dietary supplements contain iron, which must be sold in child-resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.

‘The packaging of the supplements is not child-resistant, posing a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children.’

Iron is essential for transporting oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, but experts warn that too much can disrupt energy production and kill cells, leading to life-threatening complications.

Doctors recommend people should take no more than 1.4 to 2.7mg of iron per pound of body weight (3 to 6mg per kilogram) if they are iron-deficient, meaning children need less than adults. 

Early warning signs of iron poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Without treatment, symptoms can quickly progress to excessive fluid and blood loss, shock and, eventually, death.

Among the supplements recalled were ones containing iron from arey, which health officials warned needed to hve child-resistant packaging. The above image, from the brand, shows the new packaging with a child-resistant lid attached

Barilife’s dietary supplements that contained iron were also part of the recall

Those particularly at risk of accidental overdose include young children, who may take a lot of the supplement, thinking it is a sweet. From 1983 to 1990, iron poisoning was the leading cause of death from medicines in children younger than six years.

People who use the supplements include pregnant women and regular blood donors, who use it to boost blood production, vegetarians and vegans, who may take it to avoid an iron deficiency, and people who have had bariatric surgery, who take it because their guts may not absorb as many nutrients as previously.  

Doctors can treat iron poisoning using an antidote drug, but say this needs to be administered quickly after poisoning begins.

The FDA says that men require about 8.7 milligrams (mg) of iron per day from age 19, while women require 14.8mg from age 19 to 49 years. After turning 50, and the end of menstruation, women’s daily requirement drops to 8.7mg.

In the body, iron is used to produce hemoglobin, or the protein in red blood cells that allows them to carry oxygen around the body.

Many people get enough from dietary sources — with a 0.5lb steak or can of red kidney beans containing about 6mg — but some may take the supplements to avoid a deficiency.