Recent Supplement Recalls & FDA Warnings: The Roll-Call

Ephedra was pulled after 155 deaths. Bitter-orange synephrine moved into the same fat-burner category within months. DMAA got banned; DMHA appeared. The recall list reads less like a graveyard and more like a game of whack-a-mole. Ten entries — several still legally on shelves through loopholes.

1. Ephedra (FDA, 2004) — Pulled after 155 documented deaths. Bitter-orange synephrine moved into the space within months.
2. Kratom (FDA, ongoing) — 36 deaths in FDA review. Activates opioid receptors. Still sold in head shops.
3. Green-tea extract (EFSA, 2018) — ≥ 800 mg EGCG/day flagged as liver-toxic. Now the leading herbal cause of drug-induced liver injury in the U.S. registry.
4. Vinpocetine (FDA, 2020) — Final guidance: it's a drug, not a supplement. Not safe in pregnancy. Still sold under "nootropic" labels.
5. Melanotan II (case reports, 2023–24) — Three published rapid-growth melanoma cases in users of injected "tanning peptides."
6. DMAA (FDA, 2013) — Banned after deaths and cardiac events. Analogues (DMHA, octodrine, 2-aminoisoheptane) keep reappearing under new names.
7. Colloidal silver (FDA enforcement) — No safe or effective use. Argyria is irreversible.
8. Phenibut (clinical, ongoing) — Physical dependence in 3–5 days. Withdrawal includes seizures.
9. Tianeptine (state actions, ongoing) — "Gas station heroin." Banned in 11 U.S. states by 2024.
10. Greater celandine (BfArM, 2008) — Authorization withdrawn in Germany after liver-injury cluster. Still legal in the U.S.

Bottom line

The DSHEA framework forces the FDA to chase harm rather than prevent it — which means most of these products keep selling under new names while case reports pile up. Reading the recall list is a faster way to spot the next problem ingredient than reading the product label.

See the full timeline with regulatory citations on Discover →