The manufacturer of a softgel supplement marketed as an eye vitamin issued a voluntary recall of the product due to a potential choking hazard.
Manufacturer Bausch + Lomb received reports of its PreserVision Eye Vitamin AREDS 2 Formula with Omega 3 softgels causing consumers -- mostly those 70 and older -- to have difficulty swallowing the product or to feel a choking sensation while swallowing it, a prepared statement from the company said.
The recall is limited to 60-count bottles sold in the U.S., and the supplement's formulation is safe for consumption, the statement said.
Lot numbers of the recalled product include 0923BK103, 0924BK103, 0924BK103A, 0926BK103A, 0927BK103A, 0928BK103A, 0929BK103A, and 0930BK103A with an expiration date of Aug. 31, 2011.
The company contacted retailers and eye care professionals to inform them of the recall and to tell them how to return affected products.
Customers with the affected gels should return the product to the manufacturer immediately, even if they have no difficulty swallowing the supplement, the statement said.
A new formulation -- in a smaller-sized gel -- will replace the product some time later this year, the company said.
Bausch + Lomb is located in Madison, N.J.