The FDA issued a warning on Thursday advising consumers not to use nearly 50 dietary supplements it purchased on eBay and Amazon. The Food and Drug Administration said it found the male enhancement and weight loss products in its warning contained hidden ingredients that might pose a significant health risk.
“The FDA purchased these products on Amazon and eBay and agency testing found that the products contain active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on their labels, including some with ingredients found in prescription drugs. These products may cause potentially serious side effects and may interact with medications or dietary supplements a consumer is taking.”
“While the FDA has engaged in discussions with online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay regarding these issues in the past, we believe they can do more to protect consumers from these fraudulent and potentially dangerous products,” said Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
“We continue to urge stores, websites and online marketplaces, like Amazon and eBay, to take appropriate steps to protect the American public by not selling or facilitating the sale of illegal FDA-regulated products.”
The FDA also alleged that several of the Amazon products on its list were designated as an “Amazon Choice” or “#1 Best Seller.” “Products with undeclared drug ingredients violate federal law,” the agency stated. “In general, these products are unapproved new drugs and/or adulterated dietary supplements. In addition, they are misbranded because their labels do not accurately reflect their ingredients.”
You can find the full press release on the FDA.gov website.
