No less than 100 marketers and manufacturers of supplements are now being pursued by the Justice Department as part of its "nationwide sweep."
In a statement released by the department on Tuesday, Nov 17, it is suing for criminal and/or civil liabilities marketers and creators of weight loss and nutritional supplements that are misleading the public. Their products may contain ingredients not included or different from what's written in the label or they are making health claims despite not being supported by scientific evidence. A collaboration between the department and other federal agencies, the lawsuits are based on a year-long effort. So far, over 100 companies and individuals have been charged, and about 89 of them already have cases filed since November 2014.
One of these companies is USPLabs, which is the manufacturer and distributor of OxyElite Pro and Jack3ed marketed as weight loss or workout supplements. According to the indictment released on Tuesday, the company allegedly claimed that they're using natural ingredients as a stimulant even if what they contained was synthetic made from China. Two of the accused were also charged with FDA proceeding obstruction and money laundering.
Further, the company continued to sell the products despite the knowledge of being linked to cases of liver injuries. They also allegedly lied to the FDA by selling as many of the bottles as possible across the country after they've committed to stop the distribution.
Civil cases have also been filed against Vibrant Life for selling organic sulfur and Taheebo Life Tea, among others, as treatment against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A complaint was also lodged in Florida against James R. Hill for selling a product known as Viruxo as herpes treatment.
The justice department believes that their actions would send a strong signal to other manufacturers and marketers that they don't tolerate wrongful supplement information and sale. They also stressed that public safety is their priority.