A Miami child-supplement maker had no permit and used vodka as sanitizer

Business admin July 29, 2026 0 Comments

A Miami child-supplement maker had no permit and used vodka as sanitizer

Processing liquid supplements without proper safeguards and using potato vodka as sanitizer for equipment topped a state inspector’s problems with an Aventura supplement seller.

That first issue at BrainChild Nutritionals, 20725 NE 16th Ave., was enough for the business to get hit with a Stop Use Order that halted “processing of shelf stable liquid dietary supplements including tinctures.

Another part of the June 8 inspection that posted Friday stated: “According to the person in charge, the facility has been operating since 2020 without a food permit.”

READ MORE: Children’s fruit puree recalled because a packaging defect can leave plastic in food

No one answered the phone at BrainChild Monday or Tuesday. State corporate records list the manager as Joe MacLean, but list his address and BrainChild’s mailing address as the Scottsdale, Arizona, address of Legere Pharmaceuticals. Legere declares on its website: “We’ve pioneered private label supplements and injectables for physicians and clinics interested in dispensing unique formulas for weight loss and wellness.”

Via its website and Amazon.com, BrainChild sells child and family supplements for “ADHD support,” “anxiety support,” “spectrum support” “digestion support,” and “detox support.”

“The efficacy of the products promoted on this website has not been confirmed by FDA approved research,” the BrainChild website says. “All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from healthcare practitioners. Please consult your physician or healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Some of the website claims were cited as “misleading” in the inspection by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Araceli Harvie.

Other issues Harvie noticed included “a spray bottle containing and labeled as vodka. The employee said it is used for sanitizing tables, equipment, and utensils. No documentation was provided indicating vodka is an approved sanitizer.”

Another citation said: “According to an employee, utensils and equipments were rinsed with water, then sprayed with potato vodka. On a later visit, the person in charge said they do spray isopropyl alcohol as the final step on sanitization.”

Also, “the processing rooms are constructed without providing protection for exposed products and clean equipment and utensils.” According to Harvie, mixing, bottling, labeling, equipment cleaning, sanitizing and storage were “conducted under a corrugated metal ceiling with exposed metal rafters, utility lines and exposed wires as well as exposed bar joists on a wall.”

No handwash sink in the processing/warewashing area got the area put under a Stop Use Order. A handwash sink was installed on July 20.

“All shelf stable liquid dietary supplements were processed without manufacturing controls to ensure and prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms,” the inspection read. “The products have not been evaluated or classified by a process authority.”

This led to a monsoon of Stop Sales coming down on:

ADHD Mineral Support, 16 and 32-ounce bottles, lot No. 73338, best by 4/14/27;
ADHD Vitamin Support, 16 and 32-ounce bottles, lot No. 22173, best by 4/06/27;
Spectrum Support Two Lemon Lime, 16 and 32-ounce bottles, lot Nos. 21182, 21183 and 21184, best by 10/27/26, 11/13/26 and 01/21/27, respectively.
Lithium Plus, 1-ounce bottles, lot No. 97119, best by 04/21/30;
Olive leaf extract, 1-ounce bottles, lot No. 89133, best by 11/17/29;
Inner balance, 1-ounce bottles, lot No. 85110, best by 10/24/27.

Among the website claims classified as “misleading,” Inspector Larvie listed:

Saying Olive leaf extract “can help the body fight many conditions related to viruses, retroviruses, bacteria or parasites, including candida, influenza and the common cold.”
Claims Oregon Grape is “proven effective against a wide range of bacterial infections, used in fighting Lyme’s and related infections.”
Claims PauD’Arco liquid is an “anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant.”
That Lung Formula “reduces bronchial constriction, soothes the bronchial tube linings.”
That Inner Balance products “helps eliminate parasites, fights yeast, anti-viral, and is a natural anti-inflammatory.”
That Cat’s Claw Extract “cleanses and detoxifies the entire gastrointestinal tract; reduces gut inflammation; protects the body from viruses; is a powerful cellular rejuvenator; helps fight infection; used in fighting Lyme and related infections; and improves circulation.”