New Zealand’s Aotearoa Therapeutics Safety Office issued the recall at 10:20 on Tuesday, 29 September, covering 24,600 bottles of Rata Vale Kelp & Mineral Capsules. Laboratory tests found 6.8 milligrams of iodine per capsule, compared with the 0.4 milligrams printed on the label, the office said.
The affected bottles carry batch codes RVK-061, RVK-072 and RVK-081, with expiry dates from May to August 2028. The capsules were sold through pharmacies and health shops in 26 towns; customers are being told to stop taking them and return them for a refund.
What the tests found
The office said its laboratory tested sealed bottles after a routine market sample produced an unexpectedly high result. A second test confirmed the finding on Monday night. The capsules are promoted for daily use, and officials warned that excess iodine can disrupt thyroid function, particularly for people with an existing thyroid condition.
“A label is supposed to tell people what they are taking. In these batches, it did not,” said Alexia Barroso, the office’s director of product safety. She said consumers who feel unwell after using the capsules should contact a health professional and mention the product and batch code.
A label is supposed to tell people what they are taking. In these batches, it did not.
Alexia Barroso, director of product safety
The recall reaches a fourth-generation family business that has made botanical products in Nelson since 1965. Managing director Sophie Osorio, who took over the company in 2024, said the three batches were made during a six-week production run and shipped to retailers between February and June.
Osorio said the company had halted sales of the capsules, asked retailers to remove them from shelves and arranged a free-return service. “We are sorry. People trusted the number on our label, and we failed to meet it,” she said. Rata Vale has 42 staff and sells 18 products, according to the company.
Retailers pull stock
The office said the mix-up appears to have occurred when a new supplier’s kelp concentrate was entered into the company’s production system using a strength value intended for a different ingredient. It has not concluded how the error passed the company’s checks, and has asked Rata Vale to provide production samples and quality-control records.
Brigitte Boucher, a pharmacist in Wellington, said her shop received the recall notice shortly before midday and had already sold 19 bottles from the affected batches. Staff contacted customers whose purchases they could identify and placed a printed notice beside the empty shelf.
The office said there was no reason for people who had not used the affected batches to stop taking other supplements. Jace Torphy, an endocrinologist advising the authority, said the dose difference was substantial but urged consumers not to assume that taking one capsule meant they would become ill.
Rata Vale has set up a returns desk at its Nelson factory and says refunds will be available without a receipt. The safety office expects the company to report how many bottles have been recovered by Friday; its recall notice will remain in place while further checks are completed.
