An NHS manager has been ordered to stop selling children’s gummies that allegedly contain undeclared levels of melatonin, a prescription-only sleep aid. Sally Westcott, a clinical therapy lead at Epsom and St Helier NHS trust, runs Nutrition Ignition, the Epsom-based company that sold the magnesium glycinate gummies since March last year.
The raspberry-flavoured sweets were advertised as a natural sleep aid for children, particularly those with ADHD and autism, but did not disclose the presence of melatonin. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) instructed Westcott to remove the product from her company’s website and Amazon, although it remains available on eBay.
Two mothers, who bought the gummies online, became suspicious when their children fell asleep within 30 minutes. They commissioned an independent analysis from Supplement Factory, which found each gummy contained 0.53mg of melatonin – close to the recommended starting dose for children. The report concluded the inclusion was unlawful under human medicines regulations.
Westcott said she is cooperating with the investigation and denied knowingly selling a prescription-only substance. She stated the company is conducting further independent testing and only works with manufacturers meeting NSF certification standards.
The MHRA confirmed it is investigating the product, adding that melatonin is an authorised medicine and any product containing it must hold a marketing authorisation to be legally sold in the UK.
