Federal Agencies Target Dietary Supplement Manufacturers and Distributors

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) have announced the latest developments in civil
and criminal actions taken against 117 dietary supplement manufacturers
and distributors as the result of a year-long investigation into allegedly
tainted products. According to a November 17, 2015, DOJ press release,
an 11-count indictment alleges that weight-loss and workout supplement
manufacturer USPlabs LLC “engaged in a conspiracy to import
ingredients from China using false certificates of analysis and false
labeling and then lied about the source and nature of those ingredients.”
The indictment claims the products in question were sold to retailers
across the nation, with USPlabs asserting that it used natural plant
extracts “when in fact it was using a synthetic stimulant manufactured in
a Chinese chemical factory.”

“The joint agency effort is a testament to our commitment to
protecting consumers from potentially unsafe dietary supplements and
products falsely marketed as dietary supplements,” said FDA Deputy
Commissioner for Global Regulatory Operations and Policy Howard
Sklamberg. “The criminal charges against USPlabs should serve as notice
to industry that if products are a threat to public health, the FDA will
exercise its full authority under the law to bring justice.” See DOJ and
FDA Press Releases, November 17, 2015.

Issue 585