If you’re a parent with young children, you’ve likely had to give them a serving of cough syrup due to pesky colds. However, you may want to be extra careful with the type you choose to give them these days, as a popular brand of cough syrup just had to recall one of their products nationwide.
The FDA recently announced a recall for the Little Remedies children’s cough syrup, after several lots of it were found to be contaminated with bacteria. While we’re so used to seeing recalls on food items these days, this one is especially alarming, given no one wants to give their already sick children a contaminated serving of medicine. Read more about the recall below.
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Medtech Products Inc. Issues Nationwide Recall For Contaminated Children's Cough Syrup
Last week, the company Medtech Products Inc. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that they were voluntarily recalling five lots of the Little Remedies Honey Cough Syrup, a popular honey-flavored medicine for children and infants ages 12 months and up. The products were sold in 4-ounce bottles.
In their statement, the FDA wrote that five lots of the cough syrup product were being taken off shelves nationwide due to "the presence of Bacillus cereus and loss of shelf-stability."
"Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) can cause two types of foodborne illnesses," they continued.
B. cereus is quite a serious bacterium, as according to the statement, it can cause two different types of "foodborne illnesses." One can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, while the other can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea.
"Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term illness, exposure to high levels of foodborne B. cereus can cause death," the FDA added.
Parents Should Check Their Medicine Cabinets For Recalled Cough Syrup Packages
According to their statement, the FDA noted that the contaminated packages of cough syrup were "distributed nationwide" and sold over the course of almost three years, both online and through retailers, from December 2022 to June 2025.
The lot numbers affected by the recall include 0039, 0545, 0640, 0450, and 1198. If you're concerned that you've potentially purchased one of the recalled bottles, you can find the bottle's lot number on the bottle's label as well as on the bottom of the packaging. Luckily, the FDA stated that "no serious adverse events" have happened due to the recall so far. Still, you'll want to pay extra close attention if you have a bottle of the honey cough syrup in your pantry.
"Consumers who have the recalled product should stop using it immediately and should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to the use of this product," wrote the FDA.
"The company will also offer reimbursement for consumers who have purchased products from the recalled lots."
