Dietary Supplements Recalled For Containing Steroids

The California based company, VMG Global, pleaded guilty Wednesday to selling products that had been spiked with steroids. While the Food and Drug Administration has jurisdiction over dietary supplements, considers these to be illegal, misbranded drugs. They had warned consumers last year not to buy the products because the items may contain undeclared steroids. VMG Global has pleaded guilty to one charge of introducing unapproved drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead, according to the plea agreement.

The company has agreed to pay penalties of up to $500,000 and eliminate any remaining inventory of the two products. The company also does business under the name American Cellular Labs and the two products involved are called Tren Extreme and Mass Extreme. The hope is that other supplemental companies will see the severity of putting illegal supplements on the market and it will deter them from trying to go through with it. Although the FDA has jurisdiction over supplements, they are not regulated in the same way that over the counter drugs or prescription medications are.

Another sport nutrition company that was in the hot seat last week, was MuscleMaster.com of Massachusetts, who announced a recall of 17 products marketed as dietary supplements, who was also accused of containing steroids by the FDA. The company released a press release, saying that they could not confirm that the products contained steroids and they have reported no injuries. The company noted that it recalled the products out of caution.