Why are cough drops being recalled?

On March 20, Xiamen Kang Zhongyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a company based in China, initiated a recall for 15 of its products sold across five brands: Exchange, Caring Mill, Discount Drug Mart Food Market, MGC Health, and QC Quality Choice. The products were shipped to stores across the U.S.

The recall is ongoing, which means you could still find these products on store shelves.

“Certain observations noted during an August 15, 2025, inspection of the manufacturing facility” may have impacted product quality, per an FDA statement. What exactly was observed isn’t clear, but it likely means the cough drops don’t meet FDA standards in one or more ways.

List of recalled cough drops

To check if you have any of the specific cough drops in your vanity, here’s the current list of recalled items:

Exchange Select brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Honey Lemon Flavor Cough Drops, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 614299398870
Exchange Select brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Menthol Flavor, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 614299398887
Caring Mill brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Cherry, 90-count bag. Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 810025928407
Discount Drug Mart Food Market brand: Cough Drops, Menthol Cough Suppressant Anesthetic, Honey Lemon, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 093351037092
Discount Drug Mart Food Market brand: Cough Drops, Menthol Cough Suppressant Anesthetic, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 093351037085
MGC Health brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant, Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Sugar Free, Honey Lemon, 25-count bag, distributed by Medical Group Care, LLC. Lot number: 20240524, Expiration date: 05/24/2026; Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026; Lot number: 20240730, Expiration date: 07/30/2026, UPC: 383173000085
MGC Health brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant, Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Honey Lemon, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20240524, Expiration date: 05/24/2026, UPC: 383173000047
MGC Health brand: Menthol-Cough Suppressant, Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Honey Lemon, 80-count bag. Lot number: 20240730, Expiration date: 07/30/2026, UPC: 383173000030.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol-Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Sugar Free, Black Cherry Flavor, 25-count bag. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026, UPC: 635515993372.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol-Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Cherry Flavor, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20240524, Expiration date: 05/24/2026; Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026, UPC: 635515993372.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol-Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Sugar Free, Honey Lemon Flavor, 25-count bag. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026; Lot number: 20241030, Expiration date: 10/30/2026, UPC: 635515993372.
QC Quality Choice brand: Pectin Oral Demulcent, Throat Soothing Drops, Creamy Strawberry Flavor, 30-count bag, distributed by CDMA, Inc. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026, UPC: 635515999398.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Honey Lemon Flavor, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026, UPC: 63551598673.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Menthol Flavor, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026; Lot number: 20240524, Expiration date: 05/24/2026, UPC: 635515986718.
QC Quality Choice brand: Menthol Cough Suppressant Oral Anesthetic, Cough Drops, Vanilla Honey Flavor, 30-count bag. Lot number: 20240720, Expiration date: 07/20/2026, UPC: 635515999411