Unauthorized Nicotine Pouches Recalled in Canada

Several flavoured nicotine pouches have been recalled across Canada because they were not authorized for sale in the country.

Health Canada issued the recall Wednesday for all lots of eight types of Zyn nicotine pouches. They were flavoured apple mint, bellini,black cherry,citrus, cool mint, espresso,original and spearmint. The pouches had 1.5 or three milligrams of nicotine in them.

On Thursday, another recall was issued for eight types of nicotine pouches sold by XQS, containing four and six milligrams of nicotine.

Health Canada said these affected products were sold without market authorization. It urged consumers to verify if they had the recalled products and consult a health-care provider before stopping its use for any health concerns.

Philip Morris International, which manufactures Zyn products, said it does not sell in Canada and applauds Health Canada for taking action.

There is only one authorized nicotine pouch available in Canada, of the brand Zonnic from Imperial Tobacco, which was approved for sale by Health Canada in October 2023.

But the agency says unauthorized pouches are still being sold in convenience stores and gas stations.

The introduction of nicotine pouches to the canadian market has raised concerns among health experts and the federal government.

Experts says these products are appealing to children, who face the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine.Health Canada said in a public advisory that nicotine pouches should only be used by adults aged 18 and above as a method to quit smoking and not recreationally by non-smokers.