FDA warns microdosing chocolate bars may lead to seizures, other illness

People across four states have fallen ill after eating Diamond Shruumz-brand microdosing chocolate bars, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Those who fell ill reported suffering seizures, central nervous system depression, agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea and vomiting, the agency said Friday.

Six of the eight who became sick were hospitalized. There have been no deaths reported.

While the chocolate is sold nationwide, the full list of retailers selling the chocolate bars is unknown, the FDA said.

According to the company’s website, the chocolate bars are made with a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.”

The FDA warned against eating any flavors of Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolate bars. The agency noted that the product, which can be bought online and at retail locations, may appeal to children and teens because it’s marketed as a candy.

The FDA in 2022 described nootropics as “a term widely used to market unapproved products as ‘smart drugs’ and ‘cognitive enhancers,’” according to CBS News.

“Parents and caregivers should consider discussing the information in this advisory with their children and take extra care to avoid this product being consumed by younger people,” the FDA wrote on Friday.

People in Indiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona became sick after eating the chocolate, according to the FDA. Some victims had to be intubated, according to a release from the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center in Arizona.

“While these products claim to contain only natural ingredients and no scheduled drugs, there is clearly something toxic occurring,” Steve Dudley, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, said in the Banner news release. “We’ve seen the same phenomenon of people eating the chocolate bar then seizing, losing consciousness, and having to be intubated.”

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