UK Issues Delayed Warning against Use of Weight Loss Supplement
Six weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration recalled units of Hydroxycut products, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued warnings against use of the weight loss supplements. The US recall brought to light the loose standards applied to the dietary supplements industry, an industry often accused of being unregulated and providing unsafe products for consumers. Hydroxycut, a highly popular and commercialized weight loss product within the US, was recalled after studies showed ingredients within the supplement cause severe liver damage and other potentially fatal health complications.
The ingredient directly responsible for these adverse effects is still unknown. The UK delay on issuing warnings on the product was a result of investigations of the two different formulas sold in the US and the UK. However, concerns about the Hydroxycut products increased since both formulas are available for sale in the UK. Retailers contacted Tropicana Health & Fitness, distributor of Hydroxycut within the UK, concerning the adverse side effects associated with use of the product once the US warning was issued. Tropicana, however, did not directly address these concerns and said it was in talks with Iovate Health Sciences, the North American distributor. Although Tropicana does not sell the US formula, it eventually acknowledged customer confusion among the two products and voluntarily agreed to suspend sales after the FSA issued its warning.
The FSA ultimately decided to take precautionary action and issued warnings against the use of 14 products in the Hydroxycut line. The FSA warning covers the same 14 products recalled in the US, Finland, Canada, and Ireland. Read more for Hydroxycut lawsuits.