In November, 2013, Vega issued a voluntarily recall of several lots of their Vega One Nutritional Shakes and Sports Performance Protein products due to finding trace amounts of chloramphenicol (CAP). Chloramphenicol is a prescription drug commonly used to treat typhoid fever and eye infections.
Many of our readers have written to us expressing issues that they have had with these products. If you are interested, you can read about these issues in the comment section of the Vega product review article. In that article, we listed alternatives to Vega protein powder.
You can find the entire press release below. If you don’t want to read the entire press release, here is a link to the list of Vega products being recalled and their lot numbers click this link.
In the press release, Vega indicated that they would offer a refund for anyone who purchased the products that have been recalled. If you have purchased a product from any of the products that have been recalled and wish to return it, please call or email Vega for a full refund: 1-866-839-8863 or www.vegarecall.com.
Contact: Consumer: 1-866-839-8863
Media: 1-866-839-8863 x 366
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2013 — Sequel Naturals Inc., dba “Vega,” announced today that it has taken the precautionary measure of voluntarily withdrawing a limited quantity of its Vega One Nutritional Shakes and Sports Performance Protein products due to finding trace amounts of chloramphenicol (CAP), a naturally occurring antibiotic.
Chloramphenicol is a prescription drug commonly used to treat typhoid fever and eye infections around the world. It should only be used under medical supervision. It has been associated with rare cases of aplastic anemia and allergic reactions in some people. A leading expert on CAP says that there have been no known cases of anemia caused by residual amounts found in food. Pregnant or lactating women should avoid this medication.
None of the Vega product formulations include CAP as an ingredient; however, an enzyme that was provided by a third party supplier, which constitutes less than 1% of the product ingredients, was found to contain trace amounts of CAP.
As a precautionary measure, Vega is voluntarily withdrawing all of the listed product from the market and has taken steps to ensure all future products are CAP-free, including using a different source of enzymes to prevent further potential contamination and assure consumers of product purity. These actions complete a voluntary product withdrawal and ingredient resourcing that applied to Canadian products as well.
“We’re doing this out of an overabundance of caution and to ensure that when you go to the shelf, you never have to wonder about the purity of a Vega product,” said Charles Chang, Vega President and Founder.
The Vega products were distributed nationwide in retail stores.
People who have severe sensitivity or allergies to chloramphenicol may run the risk of an allergic reaction if they consume these products. There have been no reported allergic reactions from the listed products.
The following products listed here are being voluntarily withdrawn from sale:
| Product Description | Size | FG Lot | Expiry |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 15 oz | 47047800 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 15 oz | 47043100 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 30 oz | 47042000 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 30 oz | 47046600 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 1.5 oz | 47048500 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 15 oz | 47041900 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Berry | 15 oz | 47047100 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47048001 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47048000 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47043200 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47042403 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47046801 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47042401 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47042402 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47042400 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47046802 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 30.9 oz | 47049101 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 1.5 oz | 47048600 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47047300 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47042300 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Chocolate | 15.4 oz | 47049601 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 13.3 oz | 47048200 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 13.3 oz | 47048201 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 13.3 oz | 47051400 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 13.3 oz | 47050600 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 13.3 oz | 47046500 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47049300 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47051800 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47042801 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47042800 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47055300 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047000 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47042802 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 1.3 oz | 47048700 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 1.3 oz | 47052100 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47047500 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47042703 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47042701 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47042700 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47049800 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47055200 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47047501 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47047502 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake French Vanilla | 14.6 oz | 47042702 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 12.7 oz | 47047900 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 12.7 oz | 47050300 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 12.7 oz | 47043400 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 30.4 oz | 47049000 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 30.4 oz | 47042200 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 30.4 oz | 47046700 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 30.4 oz | 47049001 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 15.2 oz | 47042100 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 15.2 oz | 47047200 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Natural | 15.2 oz | 47049500 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 14 oz | 47043300 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 14 oz | 47048101 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 14 oz | 47048100 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 14 oz | 47050500 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47049201 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47042602 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47042600 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47042601 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47046900 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 30.8 oz | 47049200 | 08/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 1.4 oz | 47051600 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 15.4 oz | 47042500 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 15.4 oz | 47047400 | 07/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 15.4 oz | 47049700 | 09/2015 |
| Vega ONE Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai | 15.4 oz | 47047401 | 08/2015 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 12SE13PP1 | 05/2015 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 13SE13PP1 | 05/2015 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 16SE13PP1 | 05/2015 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 17SE13PP1 | 12/2014 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 23OC13PP1 | 07/2014 |
| Vega One Starter Kit | 7.4 oz | 24OC13PP1 | 07/2014 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 15.7 oz | 47043500 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 15.7 oz | 47048301 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 15.7 oz | 47048300 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 29 oz | 47047600 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 29 oz | 47042900 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate | 29 oz | 47047602 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 14.8 oz | 47048400 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 14.8 oz | 47048401 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047704 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047702 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047705 | 08/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047700 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47047701 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47043002 | 07/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47043001 | 06/2015 |
| Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla | 29.2 oz | 47050100 | 08/2015 |
All the product from the lot codes listed are completely safe for the general population. This voluntary withdrawal does not apply to any other lot of Vega product distributed anywhere in Canada or the United States. If you have purchased a product from any of the lot codes below and wish to return it, please call or email Vega for a full refund: 1-866-839-8863 or www.vegarecall.com
Here is the list Mayo Clinic’s of the potential side effects of using Chloramphenicol:
Rare
- Bloated stomach
- drowsiness
- gray skin color
- low body temperature
- uneven breathing
- unresponsiveness
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
- Pale skin
- sore throat and fever
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- unusual tiredness or weakness (the above side effects may also occur up to weeks or months after you stop taking this medicine)
Rare
- Confusion, delirium, or headache
- eye pain, blurred vision, or loss of vision
- numbness, tingling, burning pain, or weakness in the hands or feet
- skin rash, fever, or difficulty in breathing
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
source: FDA.gov, Mayo Clinic
Thank you for that information. We have written a new article regarding the recall here
I bought this product two different times and months apart. I had an immediate reaction which
involved vomiting. I thought that maybe when I took the product the first time, the vomiting was due to something else I had eaten prior to drinking the product. Since the reaction scared me so badly,
I returned the product to the store for a store credit. Months later, I decided to give it a try again and bought the product from different store. Within minutes after I drank this product (and on an empty stomach so I couldn’t blame it on eating prior food) , I began to feel sick and nauseated. I immediately returned this product (with the store being a few blocks from my house), complained to the store manager, got a quick refund and no sooner than I opened the door to leave the store I started violently vomiting! It lasted at least 10 minutes! I guess if the manager refunding my money thought I was just being a pain in the butt for complaining, he had a bird’s eye view of what I was complaining about!!! I haven’t touch a VEGA product since!!!!!!!
This is very scary because the only reason I am aware of this is because I recently decided to stop eating meat. I remembered I had this product when I happened to see a link for Vega products on a vegan website. I wasn’t even looking for this information. I drank this shake twice. The first time I added coconut oil and a few kale leaves. I have a sensitive stomach but this went beyond normal stomach upset and caused severe pain and gas/bloating. It was awful. I thought the kale and the fact my stomach was totally empty was the problem so go tried it again with just almond milk and the same thing happened. I have read some peoples take on chloramphenicol and they say, “it’s just an antibiotic, how bad can it be?” Well I purposefully avoid antiobiotics in all of its forms and disguises. I don’t eat meat or use dairy products containing them and I don’t run to my MD every time I have the sniffles to get some Amoxicillen. I’m hyper conscious about what I consume. Why in the world would I have cause to believe there were antibiotics in a VEGAN PROTIEN POWDER? People who purchase items like this are typically health conscious individuals to some degree. They demand a higher quality in the foods they put in their bodies and they pay a higher price for it as well. Does this company only spend the money to test the components of their products after someone consumes them and becomes extremely ill? That hardly seems like a responsible practice for a company in the health food business. The recall list still says at the bottom that these products are safe to consume!? Despite the promise of using another enzyme distributor, I will never buy products from this company again. I wouldn’t need reassurance from this company had they done their research into the components of their products prior to selling them to me. Very dissappointing and frustrating.
Hi there to all, how is all, I think every one is getting more from this web
page, and your views are fastidious in favor of new visitors.
I first want to say that i really really hate writing a bad review, in fact i would rather blame myself instead of a company or another person but i feel that if i don’t write this review i would be contributing to whatever it is that Vega One has going on. I bought my Vega One Vanilla Chai Shake from them at Vitamin Shoppe as i do all my shakes and absolutely loved the taste and was very happy to have finally found a protein shake with an acceptable taste. About a week after taking this i broke out in hives all over my chest and upper stomach. I also began to feel a throbbing sensation near my lower stomach, which felt very weird and very scary. I also noticed my kidneys weakening. At first i did not think it was Vega One, since this is supposed to be a natural vegan product. I could not figure out what was causing this illness. Vega One was the only change i made in my diet however i still did not think it was Vega One but I stopped taking the shake just in case. I went on a water/herbal detox and took natural vitamins and herbs to clear the bad reactions which took quite a while to clear which means that this was a very strong reaction that my body had since not even my natural remedy mixtures were responding to it and i have some very potent herbal mixtures and oils. After the hives went away leaving me with what looks like a permanent scar right in the very center of my chest, i bought another Vega One Shake again to try. Immediately after beginning Vega One for the second time I started to have the same reactions and this time the entire bottom row of my gums/ teeth are ACHING and have been this ways for DAYS which confirms this is Vega ONE. Very disappointed in Vega ONE and founder Mr. Chang. After reading the ingredients again i could not find out why i was reacting this way as I’ve already eaten all of those ingredients before in other products with no problems. It wasn’t until i did an online search with the phrase ‘vega one side effects’ and‘ Vega One Rash’ that i really started to get upset. From FDA postings about Vega One recalls for product contaminations that can cause blood problems and can take weeks of building up for the symptoms to appear with unpredictable reactions) to hundreds of horror stories and complaints from Vega One customers about seizures, becoming violently ill, fainting, vomiting, nausea, aplastic anemia, emergency room scares, and other severe illnesses from people who’ve bought the Vega One. Even after the so called “voluntary recall’ which did not seem so voluntary with Mr.Changs unwillingness to comply until a pubic outcry according to news sources. Why is this product still making people violently ill today and more importantly why is it still on shelves. It is scary to think that there are some people who have become very ill from this product and do not know the cause of their illness because they are not connecting it back to Vega One and this is why i couldn’t in good conscience not say anything. Something is very wrong with Vega Ones formulations. i am also interested in knowing what is in their flavoring and why this is so top secret. I was actually considering contacting a someone about some sort of class action suit but i’m sure that by now they’ve figured out a way or wording to place on their product in order to not hold themselves liable.
Hi there, I recently started trying Vega products. The performance protein has been fine for the first few tries, however, once I tried the Vego One – within the hour I was having trouble breathing and broke out in hives. I had an allergic reaction to something in the product… little freaked to continue use of any vega product after reading all of these stories.
Hey Guys, glad to hear all your stories. Well looks like I am part of party as well. So I went to the Vitamin Shoppe on Saturday and bought the Vega One Vanilla Protein version on the aim to try a new protein, I don’t really always jump around products, but this time I did. I will not lie to you, I woke up on Sunday and had one on an empty stomach and 10 mins later I entered the gates of HELL! I first started getting cold sweats, then i started to vomit (but with a struggle) and also had Diarrhea sensations throughout the whole ordeal. I had the shake around 9:45 am 10 mins later I was in the bathroom from like 10 am – 2 pm! then I finally made it out and struggled another 3 hours in my bedroom. All I wanted to do was fall asleep to avoid the pain! I couldn’t. Finally when the pain mellowed down i tried going to sleep and right before i would knockout, i would wake up to nausea from dehydration! it was a very painful process. Trust me. i had E coli for 8 days and that was hell, but this was from another world! I am surprised I rode it out on my own. At some points i felt like dying it was so bad! I know everyone’s body is different but this seems to be a very common issue and if i can prevent this from happening to someone else then i will try my hardest! I hope know one goes thru that! if my dumb ass would have just researched a few reviews I would have hesitated to buy this product! Or possible avoided the whole scenario!