By THERESA GARNER
Four days after the Pan Pharmaceutical scandal broke in Australia, New Zealanders have finally learned which products are suspect.
The Food Safety Authority last night issued a list of 642 dietary supplements and vitamins sold in New Zealand that are made by or contain ingredients made by the disgraced Australian company.
It took three days to put the list together, mainly because complementary medicines do not have to be registered in New Zealand, so authorities have no record of what is being sold, who makes what, or where products come from.
The delay caused public concern and frustration, and by late yesterday more than 500 callers had used a food safety helpline.
"There have been calls from people who say they have had adverse reactions," said FSA director of policy and regulatory standards Carole Inkster.
"If it's current, we recommend they go to the doctor."
Incidents would be recorded.
Ms Inkster said not all dietary supplements were implicated in the biggest recall in Australia and New Zealand.
But she acknowledged it was hard for New Zealanders to find out which ones were involved. "We just don't have a handle on the scope of the New Zealand industry," she said.
She hinted that product registration might be introduced, saying: "It will certainly be looked at."
The list was compiled by the National Nutritional Foods Association, which represents companies that sell between 70 and 80 per cent of dietary supplements on the market.
Until its issue, consumers had to wade through a 193-page Australian list of 1369 vitamins and health supplements ordered off shelves across the Tasman. Some were not sold here or were sold under different names.
Ms Inkster said the Australian list - which could yet grow - would be cross-checked against the New Zealand list to see if any items had been missed from our recall.
By yesterday afternoon, pet treatments had been implicated in the scare, which started after a Pan Pharmaceutical motion sickness product, Travacalm, caused adverse reactions, including hallucinations, in some users.
An audit found Pan had breached safety and quality standards.
The company has admitted some lapses, but has also blamed an employee for falsifying test results.
Ms Inkster said the FSA would soon start random checks to make sure retailers had complied with the recall notices. "We're confident retailers have been more than co-operative."
Some consumers have been left anxious.
A pregnant woman contacted the Weekend Herald saying she had taken Thompson's Pregnacare for the past seven months, a product designed to "maximise the health of mother and foetus". Marketed in Australia as Pregnafort, it is on the Australian list of recalled products, but Thompson's told her they stood by the product. "No one can absolutely guarantee what is in those bottles," the woman said. "It's just not good enough."
The Medical Association wants transtasman regulation and a common system to ensure effective regulation of complementary medicines.
WHAT THE COMPANIES SAY
How have New Zealand's leading natural health firms responded to the scare over Pan Pharmaceuticals, the disgraced Australian pill maker? Here is a range of reactions.
Comvita New Zealand
Does not get any products from Pan. Changed its manufacturer of Royal Jelly capsules from Pan to a new supplier in October. Comvita has asked all wholesale and retail customers to return any older batches of 365-, 180- or 30-capsule batches.
Thompson Nutrition
No mention on website, but a phone message advises customers that a small number of products are manufactured by Pan, and batch numbers had been given to the FSA. "No recall of product has been issued as there is no substantiated risk to public health at this time ... Please be aware that the current situation is overloading our phone system. We will update this message as things develop."
Nutra-Life Health & Fitness (NZ)
Website mentions the first urgent recall in Australia of 219 products, and stresses Nutra-life has no products on the list. But Pan does supply to Nutra-Life for packing under its own brands. "Following a review of our customer complaints register, and a review of our internal quality assurance records, Nutra-Life has no reason to believe at this point in time that any of the products supplied to it by Pan represent a safety risk."
Red Seal
Website lists 11 products it has withdrawn from sale as a "responsible pre-cautionary step". It says: "A review of our complaints register has also shown no evidence to suggest that there are any food safety concerns".
Bullivants/Mayne Health
This Australian website lists every product which has been recalled under brand names such as Cenovis and Nature's Own, and suggests an alternative. Comprehensive Q & A section and links to product websites.
* The
helpline 0800 NZFSA1 (0800 693-721) is open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.