Since the DSHEA act in 1994 the USA population has experienced a wide open market for dietary supplements. Vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, homeopathic remedies, and a gazillion other categories of dietary supplements are now on the open market for people to try and see if they get benefit from them. It has been very successful, both from a business perspective as well as helping people gain better health without relying heavily on drugs and pharmaceuticals. But along with success comes counterfeits. And with sales of dietary supplements moving online over the years, the opportunities for counterfeit supplements has risen dramatically. This article explores what counterfeit supplements are, why they could be bad for you, how to identify them, and strategies to avoid them. I haven’t personally run into a counterfeit supplement, but maybe you have.
What Are Counterfeit Supplements?
Counterfeit supplements look like the real thing, with swiped brand logos and wording from the real packaging.
Here’s a list of what has been typically found in counterfeit products:
- Counterfeits are often missing key ingredients (the expensive ones) or they have added ingredients, like rice flour as a filler. The promised active compounds may be missing.
- Counterfeits could include harmful contaminants, such as undeclared pharmaceuticals (e.g., sildenafil), or allergens like gluten or soy in a product that is supposed to be allergen-free.
- Counterfeits often look a bit different from the legitimate brand. You might see errors like misspellings, missing lot numbers, or a lack of tamper-evident seals.
- Bottles may be similar, but not exactly the same. The lids might have a different texture or a different color.
With over 100,000 supplement products available in 2023, there is a lot of potential counterfeit products out there, especially online. The popular supplements are the ones that get targeted the most.
Risks of Counterfeit Supplements
Counterfeit supplements can cause trouble, both for your health and pocket book. Here’s why:
- Ineffectiveness: Products with fillers provide no health benefits, wasting money and potentially delaying effective treatment. And then you think the original product is also not effective.
- Health Hazards: Contaminants like unlisted drugs or allergens can cause adverse effects, such as allergic reactions, nausea, heart issues, or organ damage.
- Allergenic Reactions: Undeclared allergens, such as shellfish in a supposed vegan supplement, can trigger severe reactions, as reported with counterfeit mushroom supplements from Fungi Perfecti.
- Serious Side Effects: Supplements for sexual enhancement and weight loss have been targets of counterfeiting. Sildenafil and sibutramine were the most common drugs added to the supplements. (link)
Research highlights the scale of the problem. A small 2022 study of 30 immune-support supplements sold on Amazon found that 13 of the qualitatively tested supplements were missing at least one ingredient, which should never happen in a cGMP environment. (link)
Identifying Counterfeit Supplements
To protect yourself, look for these warning signs:
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Packaging and Labeling:
- Check for misspellings, unfamiliar fonts, missing lot numbers, or absent safety seals.
- Compare the product to images on the brand’s official website for consistency.
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Product Characteristics:
- Be cautious of unusual smells, textures, or appearances (e.g., pills with odd colors or sizes).
- Note any abnormal taste or aftertaste.
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Price and Claims:
- Be wary of unusually low prices, as they often indicate counterfeits.
- Avoid products with exaggerated claims, such as curing serious illnesses, which are typically fraudulent.
Strategies to Avoid Counterfeit Supplements
To minimize the risk of purchasing counterfeit supplements:
- Purchase Directly from Brands: Buy from the brand’s official website or authorized distributors listed on their “Where to Buy” page.
- Choose Reputable Retailers: Retailers like VitaCost, Swanson’s Vitamins, or iHerb require certificates of analysis and work directly with brands.
- Review Customer Feedback: On Amazon, examine reviews and photos for reports of unusual packaging or product appearance.
- Report Suspected Counterfeits: If you receive a suspicious product, do not use it. Request a refund, report it to the FDA’s Health Fraud division, and notify the retailer.
- When buying from Amazon, be sure that the “Sold by” and “Ships from” are the brand or Amazon. This helps, but isn’t still a guarantee, unless the seller uses FN-SKU tracking. Don’t buy supplements from Amazon that come from a third party seller.
Amazon’s Role and Efforts
Amazon is the largest online retailer of dietary supplements, with the lure of fast shipping, competitive pricing, and in-stock availability. As such Amazon is targeted by counterfeits, Part of the reason is that product from multiple sellers is sold under a single listing. Apparently, the products from multiple sellers of the same product are stored together in the warehouses as well. In 2023, NOW Foods identified 11 counterfeit versions of their supplements, including psyllium husk and magnesium citrate, sold by a single seller (A2X1). Similarly, Fungi Perfecti discovered 23 fraudulent storefronts selling counterfeit Host Defense products, some containing undeclared allergens.
Amazon has implemented measures to combat this issue:
- Amazon Brand Registry: Launched in 2016, this program allows brands to protect their intellectual property and report counterfeit listings.
- Serialization: Brands can use unique identifiers to track products, ensuring authenticity.
- Project Zero: Introduced in 2019, this initiative uses machine learning and brand data to identify and remove counterfeits. It also allows frequently targeted brands to remove counterfeit sellers directly, without contacting Amazon.
- Amazon-Specific SKU: To prevent co-mingling inventory with other sellers, a brand owner can use an Amazon specific tracking number, a FN-SKU. This keeps a brand’s inventory separate from other inventory with the same manufacturing barcode.
These efforts demonstrate Amazon’s commitment to reducing counterfeits, which is essential for maintaining consumer trust and protecting its business. Since 2020, Amazon has required brands to submit certificates of analysis, product images, and letters of guarantee for supplement listings. However, challenges persist, as counterfeiters often reappear under new seller names. While Amazon has banned offending sellers and issued refunds, the scale of the marketplace requires ongoing vigilance from consumers and brands.
Conclusion
Nobody wants to be taken by a counterfeit. With diligence on the part of consumers and retailers we can eliminate a great deal of the counterfeit supplements that try to dupe you into buying their falsehoods. If you just take a few steps to verify sellers on Amazon, or buy directly from other reputable sites, or even directly from brand sites, like https://myhdiet.com/, you can avoid being caught by these thieves. Stay alert and don’t fall for a deal that is too good to be true.
