Warnings were issued to eBay and Amazon by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) on Thursday for proposing consumers not to use nearly 50 dietary supplements it purchased on eBay and Amazon. The reason the authorities gave was that it found the male enhancement and weight loss products with a warning that they contain potentially dangerous hidden ingredients that might pose a significant health risk.
Irrespective of the FDA warnings given about similar products for the past decade, potentially dangerous products continue to be available and sold on the interest and online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, as well as in retail stores. The agency urges consumers to beware of purchasing or taking these products since it can cause serious damage to their health.
“Protecting the health and safety of Americans is the FDA’s highest priority, and we will remain vigilant and communicate about products and companies that place U.S. consumers at risk,” said Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “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. 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.”
All 26 products purchased on amazon and 20 out of 25 products on eBay purchased by the FDA were declared to contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients. Upon testing in the FDA’s laboratory, it was found that the products contained ingredients including sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, sibutramine, desmethyl sibutramine, phenolphthalein, and/or fluoxetine. Many of these are active ingredients for use in FDA-approved prescription drugs, which are restricted to use under the supervision of a licensed health care professional hence proving that all these drugs are harmful for human consumption.
FDA urges the consumers to first confirm with a health care professional before using or considering using any over-the-counter product marketed for sexual enhancement, weight loss or bodybuilding, or any product marketed as a dietary supplement for pain relief. In addition, consumers should search for product information from sources other than sellers and ask a doctor for help distinguishing between reliable and questionable information for their own safety.