Latin Seed weight loss product may be lethal
25 March 2011
A slimming product has been recalled from sale in Australia after being found to contain potentially lethal yellow oleander seeds.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said it was overseeing the recall of weight loss product The Latin Seed, after government tests found it contained oleander rather than "100% Brazilian candlenut" as the label claimed.
The product was advertised as "the natural secret of South America".
Yellow oleander - Cascabela thevetia, also known as Thevetia neriifolia or Thevetia peruviana - was prohibited for use in Australian food products because of its toxicity, FSANZ said.
According to the Queensland Poisons Information Centre, yellow oleander has been "responsible for the deaths of several children".
Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea and irregular heartbeat. FSANZ said the product should be returned to the place of purchase.
Last Reviewed: 25 March 2011
- 1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Consumer level recall: The Latin Seed (weight loss product)– labelling (incorrect identification of seeds) – 15 March 2011. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/foodrecalls/currentconsumerlevelrecalls/thelatinseedweightlo5103.cfm (accessed Mar 2011).
2. Queensland Poisons Information Centre. Plants and mushrooms. Yellow oleander. http://www.health.qld.gov.au/poisonsinformationcentre/plants_fungi/yellowoleander.asp (accessed Mar 2011).
