Last week, Amazon celebrated its Prime members by offering special discounts in honor of “Prime Day,” — an annual event offering special sales and discounts on select products. As the event came to a close, select customers received an email informing them they may have purchased counterfeit nutritional supplements. The email specified a brand called Align, and read, “If you still have this product, we recommend that you stop using it immediately and dispose of the item.” While it’s unclear just how many customers were impacted by the counterfeit products, Amazon has confirmed that the email did come from them.
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As the supplement industry is largely unregulated, it’s often a target for counterfeit materials. Third-party sellers with counterfeit materials have been a consistent problem for Amazon. In this case, an Amazon merchant was selling fake probiotics under the name Align — a Proctor & Gamble brand.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said, “We investigate every claim of potential counterfeit thoroughly, and often in partnership with brands, and in the rare instance where a bad actor gets through, we take swift action, including removing the item for sale, permanently banning bad actors, pursuing legal action, and working with law enforcement when appropriate.” The company also said they have notified and refunded customers who were affected by the event.
All supplements are not created equal, which is why it’s a good idea to do thorough research before purchasing. While supplements are not a substitute for healthy food choices, they can be quite useful, and many are essential for nearly everyone. When it comes to supplements, look for the following characteristics to make sure it’s a good choice:
- It is as close as possible to its natural (whole food) form
- Use independent third party labs that check the raw materials for contaminants and correct dosage
- Follows industry standards for quality assurance including ISO 9001, ISO 17025, and Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP) certifications
- The utmost care has been taken in all phases of its production, from growing its ingredients, to manufacturing, testing for potency and quality control
- It works! Select from companies that have a long track record of providing high quality products that produce good clinical results
- Read the labels carefully as companies need to declare added processing agents