TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is responding to international media reports about serious side effects linked to the Australian health supplement Blackmores Super Magnesium+, which contains vitamin B6.
BPOM stated that the product is not licensed for distribution in Indonesia and is taking steps to monitor the situation and enforce regulations.
"Blackmores Super Magnesium+ is not registered and does not have a distribution permit in Indonesia. The product is only sold in Australia," BPOM said in a statement quoted on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
To follow up, BPOM is coordinating with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to obtain more information about the reported health risks.
In Indonesia, BPOM found that the product is still being sold on several e-commerce platforms. In response, the agency has worked with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA), and online marketplaces to remove product listings. BPOM has also requested the product be added to the negative list to allow for complete blocking.
BPOM warned that businesses distributing unregistered health supplements may face criminal charges under Article 435 in conjunction with Article 138, paragraphs (2) and (3), of Law No. 17/2023 on Health. Penalties include up to 12 years in prison or a maximum fine of Rp 5 billion.
The agency also urged the public to perform the "Check CLICK" steps before consuming health supplements—checking the packaging, label, distribution permit, and expiration date. Consumers are encouraged to report illegal product sales or side effects after using supplements.
Reports can be submitted via the HALOBPOM Contact Center at 1500533 or through the e-MESO application on BPOM’s official website, pom.go.id.
Earlier, Antara reported that Australian supplement company Blackmores may face a class-action lawsuit following claims that some of its products contain excessive amounts of vitamin B6, which allegedly caused serious health issues.
The case surfaced when a man named Dominic Noonan-O'Keeffe began taking Blackmores supplements in May 2023 to maintain his health before the birth of his first child.
Unaware that the magnesium product he used contained what was later described as toxic levels of vitamin B6, he began experiencing severe symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, and numbness.
After medical evaluations, he was diagnosed with nerve damage due to excessive vitamin B6 intake. Although he stopped taking the supplements in early 2024, Noonan-O'Keeffe said he continues to suffer from nerve pain and other symptoms.
The law firm Polaris Lawyers, representing Noonan-O'Keeffe, found that the supplement contained 29 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin B6. Founder Nick Mann said they are investigating a potential class-action lawsuit against Blackmores for the harmful vitamin levels in its products.
"What happened to Dominic is tragic, but he is not alone. We’ve received reports that excessive B6 in these supplements may have caused lasting harm to hundreds of Australians," Nick said, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
In a preliminary report released last June, the TGA acknowledged that there is still no clear consensus on the safe intake levels of vitamin B6 that fully eliminate the risk of peripheral neuropathy.
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