Unsafe yeast levels in cough syrups containing honey : NPR

This photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows the location of a recalled lot of Robitussin cough syrup. The manufacturer is recalling several lots of its drug on Thursday due to contamination that could pose a serious risk to people with weakened immune systems.

US Food and Drug Administration via AP

hide title

toggle title

US Food and Drug Administration via AP

This photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows the location of a recalled lot of Robitussin cough syrup. The manufacturer is recalling several lots of its drug on Thursday due to contamination that could pose a serious risk to people with weakened immune systems.

US Food and Drug Administration via AP

WASHINGTON – The maker of Robitussin cough syrup is recalling several lots of products containing honey due to contamination that could pose a serious risk to people with weakened immune systems.

Haleon’s recall covers eight lots of Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult and Robitussin Honey CF Max Nighttime Adult, which were distributed to stores and pharmacy suppliers. The Food and Drug Administration posted the company’s announcement on its website Wednesday..

The products may contain dangerously high levels of yeast, the company said in an emailed message Thursday. Yeast is a natural component of honey, but the levels detected by the company were “beyond allowable measurements,” Haleon said.

Ingestion of the contaminated syrup could lead to serious fungal infections that would be potentially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients or people with HIV. Several million people in the United States suffer from conditions that affect the immune system’s ability to fight infections.

For most healthy people, any infection resulting from the products is unlikely to be serious, said the company, which is based in the United Kingdom and has its US headquarters in New Jersey.

Haleon said it has not received any reports of injury or infection related to the products, which have expiration dates ranging from October 2025 to June 2026.

People who have used the product should contact a healthcare provider if they think they are experiencing any problems related to the recall. They can also report the problem to the FDA’s online system.