FTC Busts Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals
June 29, 2008
A federal court has ruled Hi-Tech Pharmaceutical’s and related defendants—National Urological Group (a.k.a. Warner Laboratories), the National Institute for Clinical Weight Loss Inc., Dr. Terrill Wright, and corporate officers Jared Wheat, Thomasz Holda, Michael Howell and Stephen Smith—are responsible for paying about $15.8 million on charges it violated the FTC act via false advertising and unsubstantiated claims for several weight-loss products. The court has also approved a permanent injunction against Wright, a physician associated with the online pharmacies, as well as a fine of $15.4 million for his ill-gotten gains.
Can’t Trust A Doctor?
In the case against Dr. Wright, FTC accused the physician of making “numerous false and unsustainable endorsements that afforded the product an air of clinical safety that it otherwise may not have had.” The court rejected Dr. Wright’s defense that FTC cannot prove he will violate the law again. In fact, FTC showed that Dr. Wright violated the law in the past and continues and continues to make false claim endorsements for Hi-Tech and the other companies, including making some of the same claims in the case at hand.
Final Comments
The fine of 15.4 million dollars seems like a huge amount but it may be nothing compared to the revenue Hi-Tech generated in a very short period of time. Aggressive advertising claims result in massive increases in sales in all instances, but eventually you have to pay the piper. Some crafty supplement owners channel money into offshore accounts or “shell” companies prior to being “caught” by the FTC.
“Spiked” Protein Bar Scam
June 29, 2008
Okay, so you’ve asked for more of the “scams” used behind the scenes in the supplement industry. One “trick” that some companies use in protein bars to trick you into thinking it has more protein than it actually has involves creatine monohydrate.
Spiked Protein Bar Scam
What they do is add creatine to the protein bar to increase the label claim for protein! You’re likely asking yourself how can adding creatine increase the label claim for protein? Good question. Here’s the answer: One gram of creatine contains twice as many nitrogen atoms as that found in one gram of protein. So for every gram of creatine added to the formula, you have the same number of nitrogen atoms as that found in 2 grams of protein. I think you may see where this one’s going! The lab test that is used on protein bars to measure protein content only measures the nitrogen atom count. The more nitrogen, the higher the “detected” protein levels. So what companies do is make a bar with say 16 grams of protein and then “add in” 2 grams of creatine which will allow the bar to “test out” as having 4 more grams of protein, making the bar “seem” to have 20 grams of protein. The creatine ads NO fat and NO carbs to the bar as the protein count gets higher and higher, depending on how many grams of creatine added to the bar.
How To “Hide” The Creatine?
In order to “hide” the creatine from suspecting consumers, some companies just label it with the chemical name “methyl guanidine-acetic acid” rather than the common name “creatine”. Both are complaint according to FDA label laws. Other companies just don’t list it altogether!
Do All Companies Do This?
No! I want to make it clear that some of the top companies out there sometimes do have creatine in their bars but they DO NOT add creatine for this purpose. Creatine is an awesome performance booster, and works even better when combined with carbs and protein. Progressive companies put the amount of protein in the product that is on the label but add additional creatine to enhance performance.
Alli Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
June 26, 2008
The dietary supplement industry has never been the same since GlaxoSmithKline entered “their market” with their “Alli” product offering. The first FDA-approved diet pill with REAL clinical research backing it’s claims, was something overweight consumers had been waiting for years and supplement companies have been fearing. In almost no time, Alli became the #1 selling over-the-counter diet pill in America. Alli now celebrates its one-year anniversary with a donation to a charity called “Dress for Success Worldwide”. After selling more than 4 million bottles in the first year, they have decided to donate $75,000 to this charity. Dress for Success Worldwide is an international, non-profit organization that provides disadvantaged women with professional clothing, health and wellness, career development tools and a network of support to help them thrive in work and life. In addition to the cash donation, female Alli users are urged to donate their plus-sized business attire to Dress for Success and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare. Also, because the organization needs more than donated clothing, GSK Consumer Healthcare is asking Alli users to donate time and resources to their local Dress for Success affiliate.
“Looking good and feeling good go hand-in-hand, and that’s why Alli is supporting Dress for Success with a financial donation, clothing donation and volunteers, ” said Karen Scollick, vice president Weight Control at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate Alli users and the product’s anniversary than by helping others. ”
New Book Coming
As a part of the Alli anniversary celebration, a new book titled “We Lost It,” dedicated to telling the real-life stories of people who have lost weight on the Alli program, how they did it, what they’ve learned and how it has impacted their life was unveiled.
Alli Users Get Style Injection
Alli users featured in the book will get a “little black dress” designed for them by Laura Bennett and Mychael Knight, both former Project Runway finalists. A featured male Alli user will be styled by event emcee, Emmy award-winner Jai Rodriguez, formerly of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and currently seen on the Style Network’s Ultimate Style.
SOURCE:
PR Newswire
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/myPRNJ.jsp?profileid=1181592&resourceid=3763060
VENOM vs. REDLINE?
June 26, 2008
Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. Well it’s even more flattering when it comes from a beverage giant as large as Snapple/Dr. Pepper. That’s what VPX Sports of Davie, Florida should be feeling these days as their wildly popular REDLINE RTD energy beverage may have been “imitated” by Snapple/Dr. Pepper with their VENOM energy drink. Their RTD beverage will now come in a new 16.9-ounce aluminum bottle with a closure lid making it resealable so that consumers don’t have to drink it all at one time.
Darrell Bentley, senior packaging engineer for Dr Pepper Snapple, says, “…The new packaging for VENOM is resealable, portable and easier to drink from than a regular can. The large opening on the container allows the user to consume the beverage more easily/readily. Unlike energy drinks in cans, the resealable package also allows the consumer to enjoy the product during multiple occasions without concerns of carbonation loss or spillage.”
REDLINE HISTORY
Redline is quickly becoming one of the top-selling energy drinks in the nation. The original REDLINE RTD launched in a resealable aluminum can that is strangely similar to that now being churned out in VENOM. VPX was the first beverage company to have a resealable aluminum RTD can, but they were quickly copied by supplement company SAN with their “TIGHT!” RTD product. VPX later moved away from the aluminum-can to a high-quality plastic container a few years after their launch. The incredible success of REDLINE and the cool bottle design has been an inspiration to most sports-nutrition companies, and it looks like it may also be “inspirational” to large mass-market beverage giants too!
SOURCE: Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Pycnogenol May Reduce Menstruation Pain
June 26, 2008
Okay guys, I know you love reading about the topic of menstruation so here goes! “Dysmenorrheal” is a condition which causes extremely painful menstrual periods which affects millions of women. In an effort to find “natural” treatments to this condition, researchers took 116 women and gave them either a daily supplement of pine bark extract a.k.a. Pycnogenol (60 mg per day) or a placebo.
The Results
Researchers found that women who normally experience “low to moderate” levels of pain during their cycles, experienced no noticeable reduction in pain when given Pycnogenol. However, women with “severe” pain during their menstrual cycles noticed a significant decrease in pain. But what’s really interesting is that the number of days that they normally experience this pain for was reduced by almost 50% (2 days of pain vs. 1 day of pain).
“The analgesic-sparing effect of Pycnogenol increases with duration of supplementation and benefits persist even after discontinuation,” concluded the researchers.
Pycnogenol is normally used to increase blood flow and is included in many Nitric Oxide supplements to give bodybuilders the sought after muscle “pump”. It’s also one of the base ingredients used in herbal sex pills as it increases blood flow to many regions of the body (no I don’t know this from experience!). Could this reduction in pain be caused by the analgesic (numbing) properties of Pycnogenol or from it’s ability to improve blood flow? Further research will need to be done to determine this.
SOURCE:
Journal of Reproductive Medicine May 2008, Volume 53, Pages 338-346
FDA Clamps Down On 23 Companies Making Bogus Cancer Cure Claims
June 24, 2008
FDA this week said it had written to 23 companies and two foreign individuals warning them to stop selling products fraudulently claiming to prevent and cure cancer. Curing cancer with supplements? That’s pretty low. The products in the spotlight included teas, tonics, tablets and creams that were sold on the internet. These were being marketed with claims such as "Treats all forms of cancer", "Shrinks malignant tumors", and "Causes cancer cells to commit suicide".
ALLEGED OFFENDERS
Some of the companies alleged to be making false claims include Vitasalus ( http://www.equinox-products.com ) Vitapurity ( www.Vitapurity.com ), Nutrition 2000 ( www.Nutrition2000.com ), JHS Naturals ( www.jhsnp.com )
HERBS USED TO BACK CLAIMS
The herbs being “claimed” to help fight cancer contain ingredients such as Blood Root, Shark Cartilage, Cat’s Claw, a herbal tea called Essiac, and mushroom varieties including Agaricus, Shitake and Reishi.
"Although promotions of bogus cancer ‘cures’ have always been a problem, the internet has provided a mechanism for them to flourish," said Margaret Glavin, the FDA’s commissioner for regulatory affairs. "We were pleased to see that there were some companies that have already responded favorably and have said they will change their language," she said.
SOURCE: Lorraine Heller
Red Bull Reformulated To Include Taurine In France
June 24, 2008
Red Bull one of Europe’s most popular energy drinks, was banned in France until 1 April this year due to concerns in the country its high Caffeine content and the inclusion on Taurine as an ingredient. Taurine? Ya, ridiculous! However, Red Bull has been using Arginine instead of Taurine in their formula in France to get around their laws surrounding this amino acid. But now they are going to be permitted to offer the drink with Taurine to their french customers in the next few months.
IS RED BULL SAFE?
Despite some health officials continuing to stress ongoing issues over the ingredients being used in the product, Red Bull claims that the drink is perfectly safe for consumption.
"Last year alone, over three and a half billion cans and bottles of Red Bull energy drink were consumed in over 143 countries across the world and no one anywhere has ever shown any link between [the product] and harmful effects," the company stated.
SOURCE: Beverage Daily
EXTREME LABS Signs Michael Lockett
June 24, 2008
Supplement company Extreme Labs has entered an agreement with one of the most gifted natural bodybuilders of all time natural, Michael Lockett. The announcement was made by John DiLauro, President of Extreme Labs.
“ We are pumped to have Michael join our family of sponsored athletes. As a much noted and controversial athlete, we are excited to be working with him early in his career. Winning overall and being offered a pro-card at the age of 24 is beyond impressive and he is seemingly destined for greatness. We strive to be the catalyst to his future training and look forward to his improvements “, Dilauro said.
At 5′9″, the former boxer from Akron/Cleveland, Ohio, had turned his training around and specifically focused on bodybuilding for only 15 months before competing in the 2006 NPC Team Universe. As he states, his physique is “ a gift from God and I was born with tremendous muscles. I used to run five miles a day because I loved boxing. I stopped doing cardio, and once I stopped, I started putting on mass and it came quickly, like a true mesomorph “.
Muscular Development magazine gives plenty of coverage to Michael each month as he has an amazing physique. This is the first athlete sign I have seen from Extreme Labs but it was a good move.
SOURCE: Inside Bodybuilding
www.InsideBodybuilding.BlogSpot.com
NEXT Proteins Hires New Chief Operating Officer
June 22, 2008
Lots of great things happening these days for NEXT Proteins including the launch of their new PROTEIN BLITZ RTD drink (without a doubt, THE best tasting high-protein RTD on the market in my opinion). They have now announced the hiring of food industry veteran Tom Oliver as Chief Operating Officer. With an extensive track record in consumer packaged goods, Oliver will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, brand philosophies and product launches.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Tom Oliver to our executive management team,” said David Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer and founder of NEXT Proteins. “Tom brings a wealth of cutting edge food product experience to NEXT Proteins. He has a stellar record in leading and growing companies, which coupled with this global experience, makes him the ideal leader to expand our number one selling DESIGNER WHEY business.”
“I am delighted to utilize my aptitude in operations, leadership, brand building and business growth at NEXT Proteins,” commented Tom Oliver, Chief Operating Officer for NEXT Proteins. “I look forward to working with our internal teams, distribution partners, retail affiliates and manufacturing suppliers to build on the current success of DESIGNER WHEY products in the competitive nutritional supplement category.”
Tom’s focus on people and commitment to building a strong corporate culture has been central to his ongoing success in management. He institutes a “Play to Win” methodology which at its most basic encourages everyone in the organization to consciously go as far as they can with all that they have. The opposite of Playing to Win is Playing Not to Lose, which is avoiding fear and risk. If you Play to Win, you engage, thrive on adventure, and pursue growth.
Oliver is a veteran food executive with extensive experience in product development and the operations of creating successful consumer goods. Oliver served as Executive Vice President of domestic and international operations while at PowerBar. He oversaw the development and launch of four new product lines in one year; managed a new factory and distribution center that produced over a million bars a day. Oliver also headed PowerBar’s company-owned subsidiary in Germany. Additionally, he was a member of the executive team that sold PowerBar to Nestle for one of the highest multiples ever paid for a food company.
Most recently, Tom manned the helm for seven and one half years as Chief Executive Officer of CoolSystems, the makers of Game Ready. CoolSystems produces an advanced injury treatment system, marketed to athletic trainers, professional athletes and physical therapists. The company’s product, Game Ready, is a powerful solution for speeding recovery, minimizing tissue damage, and reducing pain. Oliver guided the company through a multitude of issues - product set-backs, funding challenges, and the loss of the CoolSystems headquarters from a devastating fire. Oliver directed the company from a three-person start-up to a respected medical device company with 75 employees and 2007 revenue over $14 million.
Prior to his tenure at CoolSystems, was the Vice President of global Quality Control for Dole Foods and also served as Vice President & General Manager of Dole Foods in the Philippines. Many of the initiatives he executed led to overall company savings of $130 million. Oliver started in the food industry with global powerhouse General Foods as a Facility Manager, and then he moved on to Nabisco Brands, where he was a plant and then project manager in the company’s wildly successful Biscuit Division.
SOURCE: PR WEB (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/06/prweb1032234.htm)
Photo Credit: NEXT Proteins (www.NextProteins.com)
Leiner Recalls Liquimax Formula
June 22, 2008
Leiner Health Products Inc. announced that it is recalling its 32 ounce plastic bottles of Liquimax Complete Nutrition Multivitamin Formula, labeled with UPC Code 7497052290, 7497023607, or 7497023696 because the product may contain undeclared fish (not shellfish), tree nuts (almonds, pecans and/or walnuts), and wheat. People who have allergies to fish, tree nuts and/or wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
The recalled Liquimax Multivitamin was distributed nationwide in retail stores. Leiner has been made aware of the presence of these allergens after receiving consumer reports of an allergic reaction. The company is aggressively investigating the situation, and currently believes a certain number of bottles of the product contain the listed allergens. Further, Leiner has consulted with the FDA which are now aware of the Company’s actions.
Source: ROBIN PLAN