The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to not purchase or use tainted weight loss supplements.
According to the federal regulator, it identified an emerging trend in which over-the-counter (OTC) products—often presented as dietary supplements—contain hidden active ingredients that may be harmful.
The FDA also notes that consumers may unknowingly consume products that are tainted with varying quantities of approved prescription drug ingredients, controlled substances, and untested and unstudied pharmaceutically active ingredients.
The agency warns that products such as these may cause harm and that it is unable to test every product on the market that may contain hidden ingredients and that only a small portion of tainted OTC products on the market have been covered by enforcement actions and consumer advisories.
Laboratory analysis confirmed that the controlled substance, sibutramine, was found in the following weight loss supplement products, according to EMPR.com:
- Mix Fruit Slimming
- Trim-Fast Slimming Softgel
- Lingzhi Cleansed Slim Tea
- Sliming (sic) Diet By Pretty White
- Lipo 8 Burn Slim
- 24 Ince
Sibutramine, which is a controlled substance that has been withdrawn from the market, is also known to present a health threat. The substance increases blood pressure and/or pulse rate, specifically in people who have a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, or arrhythmias, wrote EMPR.com
Phenolphthalein, another unapproved ingredient was discovered in the following weight loss supplement product:
- Mix Fruit Slimming
Phenolphthalein is not approved for marketing over concerns regarding its carcinogenicity (potential cancer causing properties). In fact, in 1999, the agency reclassified phenolphthalein as “not generally recognized as safe and effective,” EMPR.com reported
The products were sold on an array of websites and, possibly, in some retail stores.
