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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 offered on Facebook By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Ministry of Health alerted on Monday about the sale of weight loss products without health registration on Facebook. According to the ministry, due to a complaint received, an investigation was opened on the Facebook page named " Solo Pierdes Kilos Costa Rica " which means " Only Lose Kilos Costa Rica." The fraudulent page, which is currently no longer active on Facebook, offered various dietary products for weight loss with no respective health registry in Costa Rica. Authorities consider that this page sold the products "with misleading claims and properties that have not been scientifically proven." Among the products is the so-called Meizi Super Power Fruits. This product is not only illegally registered for sale in the country, but it was also detected in 2017 when an alert was generated for the same risks of non-registration. In addition to the alert in Costa Rica regarding this product, another alert was generated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicating that the laboratory analysis confirmed that this product contains sibutramine and phenolphthalein- two dangerous substances. Sibutramine was definitively withdrawn from the market in 2010 because it had a higher risk of presenting serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarctions, the ministry reported. Phenolphthalein is a chemical that is not an active ingredient in any approved medication in the United States, as studies have indicated that it increases the risk for cancer. Other products offered on that page for weight reduction are Slimmer Extreme Thermogenic, Body Shape, Tone 360 and Keto Ultra Diet. According to the ministry, those products were being sold on Facebook and sent by home delivery services. Everything was done by an anonymous vendor, hiding those responsible for the sale. "As these products do not have a sanitary registration issued by the Ministry of Health, as their origin, ingredients and quantities are unknown, as well as the conditions under which they have been manufactured, stored, transported and handled, which constitutes a health risk to consumers because it is not possible to guarantee that they are fit for human use and consumption for what is considered counterfeit under the General Health Law," said the ministry in its statement. However, according to the ministry's investigation, another product called Naara was being sold on the same Facebook page, which was registered in the country in the name of the company Jeunesse Brasil Comercial Ltda. Although the product was registered as a food supplement, it is attributed to properties on Facebook that were not authorized in the registry, the ministry said. This is the second alert due to fake dietary products set by the ministry this month.  Last week, an alert on the illegal product was announced due to the detection of dietary products to help lose weight without a health registry for companies and brands: TruVision - Truvy. Authorities note that there is no TruVision product authorized for purchase, import, sale and use in the country. The commercialization of these products are considered illegal activities that may put the health of the population at risk. "As there is no health registry, it cannot be guaranteed that they are fit, safe and of the quality necessary for human consumption," the ministry said. According to the authorities, after the seizure of more than 7,000 capsules of the TruFix and TruControl products from the TruVision company for not having marketing permits in the country, an investigation opened to find out how the product entered into the country. The seizure was made in 2018 by agents of the Fiscal Control Police and the Air Surveillance Service of the Juan Santamaría International Airport. The results of the investigation determined that the product was being sold on social networks and web pages. Also, as part of the investigation, two warning notices were published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to TruVision Health LLC due to non-compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices. Their products are presented as supplements to the diet, but are classified as drugs because they attribute therapeutic indications to them. On the ministry product's register database, TruFix and TruControl products registered their drinking powders in the category of dietary supplements and food. The permits were rejected due to a series of observations regarding the formulation and documents that support the origin of the products. The observations made by the specialists were never answered and the procedures expired, the ministry said in its statement. Their products should not be on the market. According to the ministry, efforts have been made by Facebook to report content that violates local laws so that publications can be removed. Also, sanitary restrictions have been issued to the representatives of Truvision Health CR TCR S.A. and Trusaludvi S.A. in Costa Rica. As the government tries to shut down the sale of fraudulent dietary supplements, there are still profiles on Facebook and web pages where TruVision products are offered under the Truvy brand. They are promoted for a variety of uses, primarily for weight loss, which are not allowed for dietary or food supplements. Given the risks involved in consuming products without a health record, specialists at the ministry recommend: • Do not buy or use those products. • Before buying a product offered online, check the legality of that product on the product registry website. • In case of any suspicion of manufacturing or selling of illegal products, send the complaint to the email, dac.denuncias@misalud.go.cr or call the ministry line 506-2223-0333. ------------------------ What other fraudulent products have you seen on the market in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
