The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced last week that it had settled with four weight loss pill companies for more than $25 million over complaints the companies had made false, unsubstantiated health claims for their products.

Marketers of four products — Xenadrine EFX, CortiSlim, TrimSpa and One-A-Day WeightSmart — settled with the FTC over allegations of false weight loss claims, surrendering millions in money and assets, and consenting to limit future claims.

“You won’t find weight loss in a bottle of pills that claims it has the latest scientific breakthrough or miracle ingredient,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, chairman of the FTC. “Paying for fad science is a good way to lose cash, not pounds.”

Two marketers of Xenadrine EFX are set to pay the FTC from $8 million to $12.8 million to settle complaints of unsubstantiated claims on its product, which was featured in numerous ads in People magazine, TV Guide, Cosmopolitan and Men’s Fitness magazine.

Seven marketers of CortiSlim and CortiStress weight loss products are set to turn over assets totaling roughly $12 million, to settle allegations of false weight loss claims advertised in radio, print, internet and television media.

Marketers of TrimSpa — the weight loss product that features Anna Nicole Smith as its spokesperson — will pay $1.5 million to the FTC over supposedly false claims that the product would help consumers lose as much weight as they wanted without much effort.

One-A-Day WeightSmart maker Bayer Corporation settled with the FTC for $3.2 million for claiming its product, which contains the greet tea extract EGCG, helps consumers manage weight and boost metabolism.

However, critics of the FTC’s ruling say the commission is unfairly targeting makers of natural products, while ignoring false and unsubstantiated claims made by pharmaceutical companies in prime-time advertisements.

“When it comes to consumer health, there’s a double standard at the FTC,” said consumer health advocate Mike Adams, author of “Spam Filters for Your Brain.” “Pills and supplements are strongly scrutinized for false claims, while the false advertising and exaggerated health claims of prescription drugs are routinely ignored.

“The FTC, much like the FDA, seems bent on destroying the nutritional supplements industry while ignoring the real threat to the health and safety of Americans: dangerous prescription medications.

“Careful analysis has shown that 94 percent of drug company promotional claims have absolutely no basis in scientific fact, and drug company television ads do not even require FDA review before being aired. Where is the FTC when it comes to false advertising by Big Pharma?” Adams asked.

BBB Rating for Devmin Research & Development, LLC, Website:   nuphedragen.com

Based on BBB files, Devmin Research & Development, LLC, Website:   nuphedragen.com, has a BBB Rating of F.

Reasons for this rating include:
9 complaints filed against business
Failure to respond to 6 complaints filed against business.

BBB processed a total of 9 complaints about Devmin Research & Development, LLC in the last in the last year.

These complaints concerned :
1  regarding Customer Service Issues  
 1 – None of the Above – Customer Service Complaint Issue
 
5  regarding Delivery Issues  
 4 – Non-delivery of products
1 – None of the Above – Delivery Complaint Issue
 
1  regarding Product Issues  
 1 – None of the Above – Product Quality Complaint Issue
 
2  regarding Refund or Exchange Issues  
 2 – Failure to honor refund, exchange or credit policies
 
  
These complaints were closed as: 
3  Resolved 
  2 –  Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
 1 –  Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
 
6  No Response 
  6 –  Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues. 
 
Business Contact and Profile for Devmin Research & Development, LLC
Name: Devmin Research & Development, LLC
Phone: (801) 796-7750
Address: 96 North 1800 West # 11
 
 Lindon, UT 84042
Website:   nuphedragen.com
Original Business Start Date: October 2007
Principal: Ian Kim, Manager
Customer Contact: Ian Kim, Manager –  support@nuphedragen.com
Email Address:  support@nuphedragen.com
Entity: Limited Liability Company
Incorporated: September 2007, UT
TOB Classification: Health Food / Nutritional Supplement Stores, Health Diet Retailers, Scientifically Unproven Health & Medical Product Providers
BBB Accreditation: Devmin Research & Development, LLC is not a BBB Accredited business.

Business Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Mr. Garrett Devore – Member/Manager

Garrett Devore, the Member/Manager of Devmin Research & Development LLC, is also listed as an officer of Garrett Devore Labs and Orovo LLC. Separate BBB Reliability Reports are available for Garrett Devore Labs and Orovo LLC.
 

Customer Complaint History for Devmin Research & Development, LLC
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company’s size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm’s responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Rating for Garrett Devore Labs

Based on BBB files, Garrett Devore Labs has a BBB Rating of F.

DBA Names:

Leptovox Co.
Blackstone Nutrition
Liposeduction
Noxycut
Ambislim
Nuphedragen
Curvatrim
7-DFB
Bioffeine
Orvo

Reasons for this rating include:

40 complaints filed against business

Failure to respond to 18 complaints filed against business.
4 complaints filed against business that were not resolved.

Complaints received by consumers are mainly regarding billing issues. Consumers state that they have cancelled yet the company continues to ship products (due to the autoship program) and their debit or credit cards continue to be billed. One complaint indicated health issues using the product.

Customer Complaint History for Garrett Devore Labs
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company’s size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm’s responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB processed a total of 40 complaints about Garrett Devore Labs in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 40 complaints closed in 36 months, 14 were closed in the last year.

These complaints concerned :

1  regarding Advertising Issues  
 1 – Advertisement did not disclose all conditions required to take advantage of an offer
 
4  regarding Billing or Collection Issues  
 1 – Failure to correct billing errors
1 – None of the Above – Credit, Billing or Collection Complaint Issue
2 – Unauthorized credit card charges
 
3  regarding Customer Service Issues  
 1 – Failure to provide promised assistance or support for products or services
1 – Failure to respond to phone calls or written requests for assistance or support
1 – None of the Above – Customer Service Complaint Issue
 
6  regarding Delivery Issues  
 6 – Non-delivery of products
 
4  regarding Guarantee or Warranty Issues  
 4 – Failure to honor money-back guarantees
 
1  regarding Product Issues  
 1 – None of the Above – Product Quality Complaint Issue
 
21  regarding Refund or Exchange Issues  
 10 – Failure to honor promised refunds, exchanges, or credit
5 – Failure to honor refund, exchange or credit policies
6 – None of the Above – Refund or Exchange Complaint Issue

 
  
These complaints were closed as: 

4  Unresolved 
  4 –  Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
 
18  Resolved 
  7 –  Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
 11 –  Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
 
18  No Response 
  18 –  Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.

The company has failed to respond to some complainants, but has responded to some stating that unopened bottles can be returned within 60 days for a refund.
 
Business Contact and Profile for Garrett Devore Labs
Name: Garrett Devore Labs
Phone: (800) 648-5095
Address: 96 North 1800 West # 11
 
 Lindon, UT 84042
Website: www.leptovox.com
 www.blackstonenutrition.com
Original Business Start Date: January 2002
New Owner Date: January 2002
Principal: Mr Garrett Devore, Registered Agent
Customer Contact: Mr Garrett Devore, Registered Agent
Email Address: Send email to Garrett Devore Labs
Entity: Corporation
Incorporated: August 2003, UT
TOB Classification: Health Diet Retailers, Health Food / Nutritional Supplement Stores, Multi-level Marketing Companies, Scientifically Unproven Health & Medical Product Providers
BBB Accreditation: Garrett Devore Labs is not a BBB Accredited business.

Additional DBA Names:

Leptovox Co.
Blackstone Nutrition
Liposeduction
Noxycut
Ambislim
Nuphedragen
Curvatrim
7-DFB
Bioffeine
Orvo
 

Additional company management personnel include:
Y Min Kim
Isayuki Takahashi – Office Manager/Assist CFO
Mr Andrew Thomsen

Garrett Devore, Registered Agent for Garrett Devore Labs, is also an officer of Devmin Research & Development LLC and Orovo LLC. Separate BBB Reliability Reports are available on Devmin Research & Development LLC and Orovo LLC.
 

Additional Locations and Phone Numbers
Additional Addresses
1627 Mountain Oaks Dr
Orem, UT  84097-2309

 
PO Box 1930
Orem, UT  84059

 
Po Box 1934
Orem, UT  84059

 
Additional Phone Numbers
Tel: (801) 471-8377
Tel: (801) 203-3419

 
Additional Email Addresses
customersupport@orovo.com
isa@orovo.com

BBB Rates Apidexin Diet Pill “F”

BBB Rating for Timaru LLC, DBA Apidexin
Based on BBB files, Timaru LLC has a BBB Rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
BBB concerns with the industry in which this business operates.
Length of time business has been operating.
11 complaints filed against business
Failure to respond to 2 complaints filed against business.

BBB processed a total of 11 complaints about Timaru LLC in the last year.

These complaints concerned :
1  regarding Customer Service Issues  
 1 – Failure to provide promised assistance or support for products or services
 
4  regarding Delivery Issues  
 1 – Delivery of unordered products
3 – Non-delivery of products
 
2  regarding Guarantee or Warranty Issues  
 2 – Failure to honor money-back guarantees
 
4  regarding Refund or Exchange Issues  
 1 – Failure to honor promised refunds, exchanges, or credit
3 – Failure to honor refund, exchange or credit policies
 
  
These complaints were closed as: 
9  Resolved 
  5 –  Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
 4 –  Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
 
2  No Response 
 

Business Contact and Profile for Timaru LLC
Name: Timaru LLC
Phone: (702) 468-1627
Fax: (888) 683-8381
Address: 1341 Callaway Ct
 
 Salt Lake City, UT 84123
Website:  apidexin.com
 http://www.apidexin.com/privacy/
Original Business Start Date: May 2008
Principal: Mr Jason Secor, Registered Agent
Customer Contact: Mr Jason Secor, Registered Agent
Entity: Limited Liability Company
Incorporated: June 2008, UT
TOB Classification: Health Diet Retailers, Scientifically Unproven Health & Medical Product Providers
BBB Accreditation: Timaru LLC is not a BBB Accredited business.
Additional DBA Names: Apidexin.com
Timaru Labs

Business Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Ms Amber Boyd
Owner or Manager

Additional Locations and Phone Numbers
Additional Addresses

Lindon, UT  84042

Customer Complaint History for Timaru LLC
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company’s size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm’s responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

 

How safe are diet pills?

Some are safer then others.  You should always take diet medications as directed.  Many diet pills are considered nutritional supplements that are composed of all-natural ingredients.  The diet pills we review do not include any hormones, steroids, or harmful chemicals.  Read our top diet pill review for a safer and effective diet product options here.

What diet pills side effects?
Many diet pills’ primary side effect is “jitteriness” if a person is not used to mild stimulants such as caffeine.  The top 3 weight loss products we’ve reviewed contain all-natural ingredients and reportedely have not been shown to have any damaging side effects.

What are the long term results of diet pills use?
Diet pills are very helpful in getting a jump start on your weight loss. They work best in conjunction with a healthy and balanced food diet and exercise plan.  As a matter of fact, when combining diet pills with a diet and exercise the active ingredients tend to work best and help produce the best results.  For long term results, continuous use of your selected diet pill may be needed.

How much weight can I lose?
Your weight loss will vary depending on the diet pill used and the diet and exercise plan you’ve implemented.  Generally, healthy weight loss amount to a loss of 1-2 pounds per week or 4-8 pounds per month. 

How long should I plan to use my diet pills?
Losing weight takes time and generally it can be a 6 months or longer process depending on the amount of weight you want to lose.  We’ve learned that each dieter is different and that a 6 month time frame is needed to determine how effective a particular product will work for you. 

Do I need a prescription for diet pills?
The top diet pills we have reviewed on this site are offered as nutritional supplements and therefore do not require a prescription.

Is there a guarantee?
Yes, only our top diet pills reviewed offer diet pills with a full guarantee. Clearly, only where a manufacturer provides a quality product, such guarantees can be made. That’s why we value a product guarantee and weight a product’s guarantee in the overall scoring system we provide you.

Top Weight Loss Supplements Reviewed

We’ve researched hundreds of weight loss products available in your local stores and online and weeded through all the hype, to provide you with our top diet products reviews. Find the top three best performing weight loss diet supplements/products used safely by consumers here:

Diet Pills Risks and Dangers
 
Before using a weight loss product you are not familiar with, learn its contra indications if any and its side effects. Determine the diet product’s health benefits and its related clinical studies. Research and consult with a qualified health practitioner especially if you are taking prescription drugs, or have a medical condition.

GMP Products:  

Our top reviewed diet pills meet the Good Manufacturing Practices Standards for manufacturing.  This is yet just another criteria we research in selecting the top performing diet pills available to consumers.

Good Manufaturing Practices (GMP)

Make sure the weight loss product you buy is manufactured in a Good Manufaturing Practices (GMP) facility.   GMP guidelines established by the Food and Drug Administration help ensure the production of quality controlled unadulterated supplement products form supplement manufacturers.

GMPs help assure quality supplement products through quality assurance best practices including:

– Raw materials quality assurance
– Standards for cleanliness and safety
– In-house product testing
– Qualifications of manufacturing personnel
– Production and process controls
– Record-keeping of product substances

GMPs provide continuous measures of quality and can uncover any quality fluctuations in real time, before the product is shipped for consumption.   The need for GMPs takes on further importance because the issues involved in developing test methods for dietary supplements are many and complex.

Weight Loss Herbs Safety

The good news is that many weight loss herbs have been used for extended periods of time, in some cases for thousands of years and have a beneficial history in promoting improved health.   However, the dieter should only use diet products as directed and only in its recommended doses. Different dieters have different sensitivities, allergic reactions and possible health conditions. Thus, following the warnings and directions of the diet product purchased will help ensure your safety.    

Below are general dieting safety guidelines. These guidelines do not address information on possible interactions and contraindications for a specific weight loss product.   Such information should be discussed with your physician and will be determined by the specific diet product in question..

Check with your doctor before using a diet supplement. Dietary supplements may not be risk-free under certain circumstances. For example, if you are pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition, such as, diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing or taking any weight loss supplement.   If you plan to use a diet supplement in place of drugs or in combination with any diet drugs, tell your health care provider first. Many diet supplements contain active ingredients that have strong biological effects and their safety is not always assured in all dieters.   If you have certain health conditions and take diet products, you may be placing yourself at risk.
 
Some Weight Loss Supplements May Intereact with Weight Loss Drugs and Over the Counter Diet Pills

Taking a combination of diet supplements or using these weight loss products together with other weight loss medications (prescription or OTC drugs) may produce adverse effects.   For example: Coumadin (a prescription medicine), ginkgo biloba (an herbal supplement), aspirin (an OTC drug) and vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) can each thin the blood, and taking any of these products together can increase the potential for internal bleeding.

Some Weight Loss Supplements can have Unwanted Effects during Surgery
That’s why it is important to inform your doctor about the vitamins, minerals, weight loss herbals or any other diet supplements you are taking, especially before elective surgery. You may be asked to stop taking these products ahead of the procedure to avoid potential interactions, such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure and increased bleeding.   These interactions may act to adversely affect the outcome of your surgery.

Top Weight Loss Supplements Reviewed

We’ve researched hundreds of weight loss products available in your local stores and online and weeded through all the hype, to provide you with our top diet products reviews. The top three best performing weight loss diet supplements/products used safely by consumers are:

Alli Reviews

Xenical – Orlistat – Alli:  all versions of the same drug but do they really work?  And is the all new new Alli weight-loss drug worth it?

  CDR Experts Alli Take
     
Xenical – Orlistat – AlliAll versions of the same drug but do they really work?  While Alli is now available in stores, it only comes in a much lower dose of one-half of prescription fat-blocking drug Xenical also known as orlistat, under the marketed brand name Alli. Alli only offers modest results and can cause embarrassing side effects. 
 

If it’s over the counter weight loss pills you’re after, you can now buy Alli, also know by its ingredient name orlistat.  Orlistat is a fat-blocking drug of limited effectiveness, now available in stores without a prescription.  Recently the Food and Drug Administration gave Orlistat’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline the approval to sell an over-the-counter version of the drug under the brand name AlliHowever, Alli is only half the dose of prescription orlistat, Xenical, which has been on the market since 1999.

With the recent FDA approval, GlaxoSmithKline Alli recent massive marketing will likely capture a chunk of the $41 billion that Americans spend on weight-loss products each year. The company says Alli, which recenly hit store shelves, will cost $1.80 per day.  But if a pill that limits your body’s ability to absorb fat from food seems a little too good to be true, you’re on to something. Alli, the drug does have embarassing if not uncomfortable drawbacks.

To begin with, Xenical, the prescription version of Alli at twice the dose, hasn’t lived up to its promise; some doctors have found it to offer marginal benefit in clinical practice. At half the prescription strength, Alli is likely to be even less effective. Data presented to the FDA suggest that Alli works best in those who are very overweight, that it must be used in conjunction with a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, and that results are modest.  In Alli’s clinical trials, severely overweight subjects who took the drug for six months lost about 5 pounds more than those taking a placebo. In a separate four-month Alli trial, moderately overweight people lost about 2 1/2 pounds more than the control group. Benefits are also likely to be short-lived. Alli is marketed for short-term use only, and follow-up suggests that people start to regain weight once they stop taking it.

Embarrassing side effects

Alli or Orlistat is notorious for what one FDA advisory panel member termed “the underwear problem.” Unabsorbed fat can cause intestinal side effects such as fatty stools, oily spotting, flatulence with discharge, an urgent need to defecate, and frequent bowel movements.

Evidence suggests that the drug can also impede the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Users need to take a multivitamin daily at least two hours before or after taking orlistat, though in actual-use studies only about half managed to do so. Orlistat should not be used by those taking the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin). People on diabetes medications should use it only under a doctor’s supervision.

The OTC Alli diet pill packaging includes a guide to healthful eating with Alli starter packs.  But while the healthful eating advice might be worth taking, are the Alli pills worth the price?

Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials–Again
Must pay $5 million for falsely advertising his weight loss “cure”
 

Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials–Again
• Kevin Trudeau’s ‘Natural Cures’ Agrees to Missouri Refunds
• Kevin Trudeau Now Offering ‘Debt Cures’
• Feds Sue Trudeau Marketers
• Feds Sue Infomercial Maestro Kevin Trudeau Again
• Trudeau Sells Customer Names to Junk Mailers
• Judge Refuses to Gag Trudeau Critics
• Consumer Agency Trashes Trudeau’s “Natural Cures” Book
• Consumer complaints about Trudeau
 
A federal judge has banned Kevin Trudeau from infomercials in which he has an interest for three years and ordered him to pay more than $5 million in profits from his book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.”

The ruling confirms an earlier contempt finding against Trudeau — the second time he has been found in contempt of court in the past four years.

In August, Judge Robert W. Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois stood by his conclusion in 2007 that Trudeau “clearly, and no doubt intentionally,” violated a provision of a 2004 stipulated court order that prohibits Trudeau from misrepresenting the content of books in his infomercials.

The judge stated that “the Infomercial[s] falsely and intentionally led thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of consumers to believe that the Weight Loss Book would describe an ‘easy,’ ‘simple’ protocol that, once ‘finished’ would allow the consumer to ‘eat anything’ he or she wants.”

Stating that Trudeau was “not a credible witness,” the judge noted several “undeniably false” statements in his infomercials, finding that, contrary to Trudeau’s claims:

• The diet protocol could not be done “easily” and “at home,” because the protocol described in Trudeau’s book requires colonics, which must be done at the office of a licensed practitioner, as well as injection of human growth hormone (HGH);

• Dieters could not “complete” or “finish” Trudeau’s four-phase program, because Trudeau’s book states that “Phase 4 is for the rest of your life”;

• Dieters could not eat “anything” they want, because Trudeau’s book prescribes that dieters following Phase 4 must eat “only 100% organic food,” and no “brand name” food, “fast food,” or “food served by regional or national chain restaurants”; and

• The diet protocol did not require “no exercise,” because Trudeau’s book states that three of the diet’s four phases, including Phase 4, require walking one hour outside every day.

Given Trudeau’s “history of deception and contemptuous violation of court orders” and his “willful efforts to deceive consumers” into believing that his weight-loss book contained material that it did not, the court confirmed its ruling that found Trudeau in contempt of the 2004 order.

The Federal Trade Commission filed its first lawsuit against Trudeau in 1998, charging him with making false and misleading claims in infomercials for products he claimed could cause significant weight loss and cure addictions to heroin, alcohol, and cigarettes, and enable users to achieve a photographic memory.

A stipulated court order resolving that case barred Trudeau from making false claims for products in the future, ordered him to pay $500,000 in consumer redress, and established a $500,000 performance bond to ensure compliance.

In 2003, the Commission charged Trudeau with violating the 1998 order by falsely claiming in infomercials that a product, Coral Calcium Supreme, could cure cancer. The court subsequently entered a preliminary injunction that ordered him not to make such claims.

When Trudeau continued to make cancer-cure claims about Coral Calcium, he was found in contempt of the injunction.

In 2004, Trudeau agreed to an order that resolved the Coral Calcium matter. The order directed him to pay $2 million in consumer redress and banned him from infomercials, except for infomercials for informational publications such as books, provided that he “must not misrepresent the content” of the books.

The most recent contempt action stems from Trudeau’s misrepresentations of the contents of his weight-loss book in infomercials. In November 2007, Judge Gettleman found Trudeau in contempt, stating that he had misled thousands of consumers with false claims that were “in flagrant violation” of the court’s order.

In his August ruling, the court banned Trudeau “or any person acting in concert with him, from participating in the production or publication of any infomercial for any product, including books, in which Mr. Trudeau or any related entity has an interest, for a period of three years from the date of this order.” The court also imposed a judgment against Trudeau of more than $5

FDA Finds Hazardous Levels of Chromium in ‘Total Body Formula’  Agency reports 200 confirmed cases of adverse reactions

• FDA Finds Hazardous Levels of Chromium in ‘Total Body Formula’
• FDA Finds High Levels of Selenium in ‘Total Body Formula’
• FDA Warns Consumers About Total Body Formula
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s final analysis of certain flavors of “Total Body Formula” and “Total Body Mega Formula” has detected hazardous amounts of chromium in the supplments, which are popular with body builders.

In April 2008, the FDA reported the dietary supplement products contained hazardous amounts of selenium in samples of “Total Body Formula” in Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar flavors and “Total Body Mega Formula” in the Orange/Tangerine flavor.

Further FDA analysis of the products found high levels of chromium as well. The samples contained up to 3,426 micrograms of chromium for the recommended serving (17 times the recommended intake). The recommended chromium intake for an adult ranges from 35 to 45 micrograms per day.

Excessive consumption of chromium can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, hyperactivity, hypoglycemia, renal failure and liver toxicity. Excessive chromium intake also can interfere with certain medications.

The new FDA finding comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of confirmed cases of adverse reactions in consumers using the products has climbed to at least 201 individuals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Consumers were first cautioned March 27, 2008 not to purchase and to discontinue the use of “Total Body Formula” in Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar flavors and “Total Body Mega Formula” in the Orange/Tangerine flavor after receiving reports of adverse reactions.

The FDA continues to investigate how excessive amounts of selenium and chromium got into the products.

The sole distributor of the “Total Body Formula” and “Total Body Mega Formula” products has voluntarily recalled the affected products.

Consumers who have been taking the products and have experienced adverse reactions should consult their health care professional.

NutriSystem Relents, Offers Refunds to Sickened Customers
Peanut butter granola bars among hundreds of food products recalled

 
A Virginia woman says she became “deathly ill” after eating some of NutriSystem’s peanut butter granola bars.  Those granola bars are included in the massive recall of peanut butter products that contain ingredients made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). That company is the focus of an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into the nationwide salmonella outbreak, which has sickened more than 470 people in 43 states and may be linked the deaths of six others.

“I was so sick,” Sandra M. of Salem, Virginia, told us. “I had probably eaten about 15 to 20 of those granola bars over a three-week period.”

Sandra says she had cramping, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, and blood in her stools – symptoms that health officials say are consistent with salmonella poisoning.  When Sandra contacted NutriSystems about a refund, though, the company refused.  “They said we only give replacement bars – not refunds. I told them I don’t want any replacements. Think about it. Why would I want replacement bars? Those products made me sick.”  Sandra’s husband confirmed his wife’s illness — and NutriSystem’s refusal to refund the couple’s money.

“She had a headache, diarrhea, blood in her stools and abdominal pains,” Howard M. told us. “She really got sick. I didn’t get sick, but I didn’t eat as many of those granola bars.”  NutriSystem, he says, didn’t seem interested in listening to their concerns.  “They asked us why she kept eating them if they made her sick,” he says, adding his wife’s illness started before the company recalled the granola bars on January 19. “When she first got sick, we didn’t know the granola bars were a problem. She finally got better when she stopped eating them.”

How did the company respond when they asked for their money back?  “NutriSystem wouldn’t give us a refund,” Howard says, adding each bar cost $2.75. “They said they would only send up replacement bars. We don’t want those. I wouldn’t eat their food for nothing anymore.  “They were not very nice.”

Company responds
Consumer_Affairs.com called NutriSystem’s toll-free number and asked about refunds on the recalled granola bars. A representative told them the company would only issue replacement bars – not refunds.

When we sent an e-mail to NutriSytem’s public relations office, however, we received a different response.

“It is absolutely our policy to grant a refund any time that a substitution is not acceptable to one of our clients,” Sheri Keiles, NutriSytem’s vice-president of public relations, told us. “Due to your e-mail, we will be issuing a reminder to all of our customer service representatives that our base policy certainly applies to the Peanut Butter Bar. Thank you so much for your feedback.”

The company’s director of customer service, John Calabrese, told us he would personally contact Howard and Sandra and process their refund.

“I sincerely apologize and will contact our clients today as well as address the service provided,” he said.

Howard and Sandra are grateful someone finally listened to their concerns.

“We called the company and got no satisfaction,” Sandra said. “I couldn’t get my money back.” Howard added: “I thank you very much.”

NutriSystem customers who would like a refund on the recalled granola bars can contact the company at 1-866-491-6425.