Sun Organic Recalls Wintergreen Oil Due To Unsafe Caps

Sun Organic recently recalled their wintergreen essential oil due to concerns that the packaging could lead to child poisoning.

On Feb. 6, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of Sun Organic’s Wintergreen Essential Oils.

According to the CPSC’s recent recall notice, Sun Organic wintergreen essential oils fail to utilize child resistant packaging to protect kids from poisoning. Because the wintergreen oil contains methyl salicylate, the CPSC notes that it must be stored in child resistant packaging under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA.)

The PPPA was enacted in 1970 in order to protect children from harmful household products. The law requires harmful substances to be packaged in such a way that children under five years of age would have trouble opening the products.

Wintergreen oil is a fermented essential oil derived from the wintergreen plant, which may be locally referred to as checkerberry or teaberry plants. Wintergreen essential oils are prized for their pain and inflammation relief, along with holistic applications for infections, colds, headaches, skin conditions, and more.

Unfortunately, wintergreen essential oils contain the active ingredient methyl salicylate. The chemical is closely related to aspirin, giving the oil natural anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. However, methyl salicylate can be toxic especially when ingested.

Sun Organic’s wintergreen oil reportedly fails to comply with the PPPA, although no injuries or incidents have been reported.

The recalled Sun Organic wintergreen essential oil was sold in 2, 4, 8, and 16 fluid ounce amber glass bottles. The bottles display the Sun Essential Oils logo, an image of the wintergreen plant, and the label “Wintergreen.”

Around 16,000 units are affected by the recall, according to the CPSC. The products may have been purchased online from Amazon, eBay and Walmart between December 2014 and April 2019. The Sun Organic wintergreen essential oil reportedly retailed for between $9 and $33.

Consumers who purchased the Sun Organic wintergreen essential oil are encouraged to store the product in a safe location where children cannot reach it. Then, they can contact Sun Organic for a free replacement cap that is child resistant.

The CPSC encourages affected consumers to call Sun Organic at 800-216-7295 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, or email the company at support@‌SunEssentialOils.com.

For emails, consumers are directed to include “Free Replacement Cap” in the subject line of the email. In the body of their email, consumers should include their name, address, the date they purchased the product, and the bottle size for which they need a replacement cap.

This is not the first time wintergreen essential oils have been recalled due to poisoning concerns. In August, Piping Rock recalled their wintergreen essential oils and offered refunds to consumers who purchased the products.

In September, Healing Solutions followed suit by recalling their wintergreen and birch essential oil products. Similarly to the Sun Organic recall, the Healing Solutions recall offered a free replacement cap to consumers.

Did you buy a recently recalled product? Share your story with us in the comments below.

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