Beware of Fake Supplements: Why Label Claims and Verified Retailers Matter
- by Billy Pons
The Issue with Fake and Fraudulent Supplements
Since its inception, the dietary supplement industry has been plagued by fraudulent products.
Two significant concerns are in play: counterfeit brands selling fraudulent products and, more recently, unauthorized replicas of renowned high-quality brands.
Online sellers must establish rigorous quality control measures and prioritize product authenticity, and consumers must educate themselves on safeguarding against this issue. iHerb stands out as a benchmark in addressing these concerns. However, before exploring the solution, let's delve into the problem.
Why It Is Better to Buy From Verified Retailers
More counterfeit products are popping up, with more consumers shopping on major marketplaces. If consumers do not vet resellers carefully, they can easily fall into these schemes, as reseller pages often duplicate official brand pages.
Now Foods, a trusted supplement brand, recently uncovered counterfeit products on Amazon. Although these items initially appeared to be genuine NOW® supplements, closer inspection revealed fake packaging, labels, and contents. After a thorough investigation, it was found that each product contained small, odorless white capsules filled with rice flour instead of the ingredient listed on the label.
Verified retailers work directly with brands to protect consumers and ensure this issue does not happen.