Health Canada responds to products containing fecal matter [Video]

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to a company appearing to sell products containing human fecal matter without approval from the agency.

In March, the FDA wrote to Human Microbes, a company advertising itself as “the world’s largest, highest quality stool donor bank” for Fecal Microbiota Therapy (FMT) transplants, after reviewing its website a month prior.

According to Health Canada, FMT is the transfer of bacteria from the feces of a healthy person to the gut of a patient to re-establish a healthy microbiome, executed through enema, colonoscopy, or other means.

A spokesperson for Health Canada confirmed to CTVNews.ca that this type of therapy should only be used in the context of an authorized clinical trial, or to treat patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile (also known as C. difficile), a bacteria that causes diarrhea and intestinal conditions, like colon inflammation.

• The information you need to know, sent directly …