Crime & Safety
Leetsdale's GNC Warehouse Destroys 1,500 Cases of Dietary Supplements
GNC agreed to voluntarily destroy, at its expense, all products in its Leetsdale warehouse containing DMAA.
About 1,500 cases of adulterated dietary supplements were destroyed in connection with a civil seizure action, U.S. District Attorney David Hickton announced.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Pittsburgh filed a complaint on June 20 requesting the seizure and condemnation of dietary supplements from the Leetsdale based General Nutrition Centers warehouse.
The supplements contained the additive 1,3-dimethylamylamine, commonly known as DMAA. According to the complaint, supplements containing DMAA are adulterated and subject to seizure under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because DMAA is an unsafe food additive.
The government’s complaint followed reports to the Food and Drug Administration of at least 86 adverse events involving DMAA-containing supplements.
The FDA says DMAA "can elevate blood pressure and could lead to cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest."
The FDA considers the sale of such supplements in interstate commerce to be illegal and has advised consumers not to buy or use them.
After the seizure action was filed, GNC agreed to voluntarily destroy, at its expense, all DMAA-containing products in its Leetsdale warehouse.
The destruction of the products, totaling approximately 1,500 cases, was witnessed by FDA personnel.
After reaching this resolution, the government dismissed the seizure action as moot.
“We are pleased to have removed from distribution channels a significant quantity of adulterated dietary supplements that may present significant health risks,” Hickton said.
USPlabs LLC, the manufacturer of the products destroyed in the Leetsdale warehouse, recently destroyed all DMAA-containing products in its Dallas, TX facility as well, according to the FDA.
USPlabs, along with at least 10 other manufacturers of DMAA-containing products, has also agreed to stop producing supplements containing the unsafe food additive.
Join Patch for more community news or join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
