Urgent recall for supplement after company claims employee swapped pills for erectile dysfunction drugs
A supplement that claims to boost men’s confidence is being recalled after counterfeit batches were found that contain an erectile dysfunction drug.
The FDA issued the alert after revealing that there were fake versions of Green Lumber capsules in circulation that contained tadalafil, a prescription drug found in medications such as Cialis to help someone get and maintain an erection.
Officials warned tadalafil could interact with heart or blood pressure medications and trigger life-threatening low blood pressure.
Green Lumber said in a statement that these were counterfeit products and made by an employee who had diverted legitimate packaging and customer information to create and then distribute the tainted products.
Only the blister packs for Green Lumber’s ‘Natural Fuel for Men’ supplement are affected, sold at $2.50 each or $75 for 30 capsules.
Counterfeit supplements do not have the lot code, ‘LOTGLU13101b1EXP0926’, on their packaging and are also smaller and a paler green than the real version.
No adverse effects have been reported to date and it is not clear how many counterfeit supplements are in circulation. They were sold online and distributed across the US.
Officials are warning anyone with a counterfeit supplement from Green Lumber to throw it out immediately and report it to Green Lumber or the FDA.
The FDA is recalling Green Lumber supplements that do not have a lot code after identifying that they are counterfeit
The above image shows the real, left, and counterfeit, right, supplements
People are also being told to seek medical care immediately if they experience any side effects after using the supplements.
Green Lumber sells a blend of roots and herbs in a capsule that it claims can give men a competitive advantage and restore their confidence.
Each contains Lion’s Mane mushroom, Cordyceps, Olive and other substances.
The company’s drink mix, daily multivitamins, prostate health and gut health supplements were not part of the recall.
The supplements do not list tadalafil as an ingredient on their packaging.
Tadalafil is a prescription medication, commonly known under the brand name Cialis or Adcirca, and is only available via a prescription from a medical provider.
The president for Green Lumber, Brett Hales, said in a statement: ‘Consumer safety is our number one priority. We acted swiftly after FDA’s testing identified tadalafil in a product labeled as ours.
‘Our investigation revealed that an employee had been diverting our packaging and customer channels to sell counterfeit goods.
‘That individual has been terminated, and we have strengthened our safeguards to protect customers and ensure this does not happen again.’
The FDA warned that using the supplements alongside medications for heart disease or blood pressure could trigger life-threatening low blood pressure
It is not clear what prompted the FDA to test the supplements.
This marks the second time Green Lumber supplements have been recalled over tadalafil contamination, after the medication was also detected in the supplements in 2019.
Then, Green Lumber recalled all products sold between June 10 and August 19 that year over the presence of tadalafil.
It said in a statement at the time that consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease could be at risk.
No adverse effects were reported at this time.
