The United States Food and Drug Administration has announced a voluntary recall of numerous cough drop and throat lozenge products sold across the country, following concerns identified at the overseas manufacturing facility responsible for producing them. The recall covers items distributed under several brand names and available through military exchanges, pharmacy chains, and online health retailers.
The recalling firm,Xiamen Kang Zhongyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., headquartered in Xiamen, China, initiated the action based on observations noted during an inspection of its manufacturing facility conducted on 15 August 2025. Specific details about the nature of those observations were not made public by the FDA.
Brands and Products Affected
The recall encompasses products sold under a range of distributor labels.Exchange Select items ,manufactured for military exchanges, include 30-count bags of honey lemon and menthol flavoured cough drops, both carrying lot number 20241030 and an expiry date of October 2026. Caring Mill cherry cough drops, distributed by FSA Store Inc. in 90-count bags, are also included under the same lot number.
Discount Drug Mart Food Market’s honey lemon cough drops, distributed by Drug Mart-Food Fair in 30-count bags, form part of the recall, as do several MGC Health products distributed by Medical Group Care, LLC, including sugar-free honey lemon drops in 25-count bags across multiple lot numbers, and honey lemon drops in 30-count bags.
The broadest range of affected items falls under the QC Quality Choice label, distributed by CDMA, Inc. These include black cherry sugar-free drops, cherry-flavoured drops, creamy strawberry throat soothing drops, honey lemon, menthol, and vanilla honey cough drops, all in 30- or 25-count bags, with lot numbers dating from May and July 2024.
Classification and Health Risks
The FDA has designated the action a Class II recall, a classification used when exposure to a product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, and where the probability of serious harm is considered remote. It sits below a Class I recall, which is reserved for products posing a reasonable probability of serious injury or death.
By contrast, a Class III recall, the lowest tier, applies to products where adverse health consequences are unlikely. The Class II designation here indicates the agency considers the risk real but limited in severity.
Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, noted that the country’s recall notification systems remain a persistent concern. “Our recall notifications. I mean this country absolutely stinks, and unfortunately there’s not one single policy solution that would just fix everything. I mean, we all need to do better.” she said, adding that no single policy solution would resolve the underlying problems.
Consumers who have purchased any of the listed products are advised to cross-reference the lot numbers and UPC codes against those published by the FDA and to discontinue use of any matching items. Further guidance is available through the FDA’s official website, where updates to the recall notice are expected to be posted as the situation develops.
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