MaxLabs US Study Finds 95% of Male Enhancement Supplements Unfit for U.S. Market
National Study Investigated 39 Brands
Country of origin, distributor identity and quantity of content among
findings of fraudulence
WASHINGTON, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MaxLabs
US, producer of IMPRESS!®
Dietary Supplement for Men, analyzed 61 samples of single-serving male
sexual enhancement supplements marketed in the U.S. to benchmark
competitive offerings, but discovered significant fraudulence
authorities and consumers should be aware of.
The observation that nearly 70% of the assessed male enhancement brands
listed ingredient weights impossibly large for the provided capsule
sizes triggered the analysis of ingredient weights. Some supplements
claimed weights exceeding five times the capsules’ typical capacity.
“We knew there were some troubled brands, but suspected major problems
would be isolated – instead, almost every sample had at least one issue
that [FDA and/or FTC rules] should prevent the product’s sale in the
U.S. Facts such as the capacity of these capsules aren’t something
average consumers would know to consider; but often they’re misled into
thinking they are getting 80% more product than what’s advertised on the
packaging,” stated MaxLabs US VP of Functional Health, Charles Kraft,
R.N.
With respect to quantity of content, the study found 95%
of the 61 male enhancement pills fell short of their labeled weight,
with several brands >4,000mg below label claim- a vast disparity
considering the empty capsules are known to accommodate about 900mg.
Overall, 88.5% of underweight samples averaged
55.3% less ingredient than stated and three brands failed to list
a weight as required.
Failure to provide accurate labeling demonstrates a dangerous contempt
for FDA guidelines and industry best practices which prompted MaxLabs US
to expand the project to include identification of the parties
responsible for these fraudulent male enhancement pills. Kraft relates,
“We felt it highly improbable supplements labeled in this manner could
originate from US-based, FDA & NSF-inspected plants.”
Accountability is a major concern- Geller (NEJM 10/2015) revealed such
supplements send thousands of Americans to the ER each year. The alleged
untimely death of a Kansas City man after taking one of the investigated
brands is a tragic example. To determine if accountability exists for
the products in question, a juris doctorate-trained legal researcher
investigated distributors and the owners of each UPC bar code.
The 39 brands listed 30 unique distributors. Research of pertinent
government records confirmed 94% of listed
distributors are unregistered, fictitious companies. The UPC
barcode owners are a similar story with 85% of the
UPC codes belonging to fictitious, unregistered entities. Other
UPC codes included invalid, non-United States codes or returned no
ownership information. In some cases, barcodes had been “hijacked”- A
dairy cooperative and a plumbing parts company were both unaware their
UPC’s were being used on these products. Clearly, measures to avoid
accountability for adverse events or quality issues have been taken in
these cases.
Country of origin is important since Americans pay more for U.S.-made
products to support the economy and attain higher quality product, along
with the implied expectation of FDA oversight. 92% of the studied sexual
enhancement products stated “Made in the USA” on the package or carried
other indications of domestic origin such as an American flag. For most
of the brands, U.S. production cannot be proven.
In reality, Chinese manufacturers including: Shenzhen Jinyuanquan
Trading Co., Guangzhou Dongyao Trade Co. and DEX International Trading
(HK) Co. export these deceptively-labeled brands in bulk with over 66%
appearing on the “Made-in-China” and “Alibaba” trade portals. This
aligns with the FDA’s documented interceptions of adulterated sexual
enhancement pills in international mail shipments. The Chinese producers
publish product descriptions, often with pictures of their packaging
invalidly adorned with the American flag.
Unfortunately, the fraudulent imports comprise most (and in some cases,
all) of the supplement offerings at many U.S. retail outlets we visited.
In addition to providing a fraction of the labeled content and no
accountability, abuse of the “Made in the USA” label is yet another
misleading marketing tactic being used on American consumers.
The full report with additional details can be found at the site of
MaxLabs US’ offering- IMPRESS!® Dietary Supplement for Men www.IMPRESS1600.com.
About MaxLabs US
MaxLabs US designs and markets premium quality nutraceuticals. With a
business model built on Innovation, Quality & Value, the company is led
by a core team possessing over 75 years’ collective experience in
business leadership, healthcare and medical devices. Their flagship
brand, IMPRESS!®
for Men, is comprised of eight branded bioactives. Quality assurance,
testing, assembly and packaging of MaxLabs US products are U.S.-based.
MaxLabs US is headquartered in Washington, MI USA.
Contacts
MaxLabs US
Charles Kraft, R.N.
V.P., Functional Health
844.MAX.LABS
Ext. 4
CK@MaxLabsUS.com
https://IMPRESS1600.com/
