FDA sends US marshals to seize elderberry juice concentrate, deems it 'unapproved drug'

OMG! Another snake oil salesman gets pulled up for making false claims and his customers are up in arms .......

Only in America

reply to post by whaaa


It is both a hysterical commedy and a horrific nightmare mixed into one. Kind of like Evil Dead.

CJ

I know the raid was more of what was on the labeling than the product itself but it's just one more realm of my life that the government doesn't belong. Seriously. Maybe people would begin to wake up more, stop being so brain dead and do their own research about stuff if Daddy wasn't constantly telling us what was good and bad for us all the time. I know that when I see a product, no matter what it is, I will not just take whatever claims are made on the label blindly. Of course they want to sell a product and companies will use many different tactics to get you to buy that product. If you, as a consumer, can't bother to research on the manufacturer claims, who's fault is that? I take a capsaicin extract in liquid form 2x a day because I saw an article about the health benefits. After I read the article, I researched more on it and decided I would try it. If I saw a bottle of capsaicin extract on the shelf with claims of it's health benefits on it, it, I would have done the same research. I really don't need the FDA to tell me that a company's claims about something may be false. I don't and neither does anyone else. Seriously...if they're going to raid a company in this manner, they need to ban fast-food commercials from using the words "fresh" and "healthy" in any of their advertising.

The article states that the company made changes and used "supplement" wordage instead of what they had and had heard nothing further from the FDA, then it was a surprise raid after that. This is nothing more than bullying tactics.

It looks like people are reading too much into this.

For those that think this marks the start of an all-out-war against juices (oh noes! - it's teh codex amertexas haarp reptilian agenda!) I suggest you try a little experiment.

Go squeeze some orange juice into some test-tube and print labels stating that they cure illiteracy and unemployment. Now go sell them. When "THE MAN" comes and busts your ass, care to take a guess as to why?

Eldenberries are very very good for you, they are what you call the reds: cranberries, raspberries, cherries, saskatoons, blueberries, grapes. High ORAC rating, prevents and helps cure even, many conditions. Not medicine, God's gift in healthy food. Just like alot of other herbs and natural rememedies. They own nothing and can prevent no one legally from doing anything.

Everyone is like sheep, too afraid or busy or lazy to speak up and stand up and not leave until its dealt with.

But there is only basic common law that is even legal. We're all soveriegns and have full access to the land, resources and seed of this world.

There are natural laws to prevent you from raping or murdering. But there is no right to stop you from using or utilizing the natural produce and resources of this world. Any law to do that or criminalize people is corporate fascist law and is 100% illegal, null and void, and any signatures on their millions of pages of stuff that should be used for the toilet, are proof of crimes.

They pushed the social security age back so far that they have to make sure nobody makes it there. Can't have people eating and drinking healthy foods.
For years they thought tobacco was the answer till they realized it was draining the system in health costs before the retirement age
Now if they would only ban them damn Juicer infomercials that are so annoying late at night.

reply to post by pianopraze


Hi pianopraze, nice to meet you too! Thanks for sharing that vid. I just finished watchin it and am gonna have to watch the other parts too.

Interesting, and I havdn't heard of that before. Some of this stuff is pretty disturbing too, but it seems like the best way to counteract it all is to raise awareness and education on it.

Calm down. FDA does not bad elderberry. At least yet. It is about labeling of a product. You cannot say on a label that ,for example, product "a" treats/prevents flu when it is not approved for it by FDA. Approving means that there is costly research and beurocratic work and small natural companies are usually not interested or simply cannot do it. If you think about it , it has sense since anyone can write whatever they want on any product and there are people who sell snake oil.
Conclusion is simple - do not write indications on product that is not approved for them.
By the way - elderberry extract has been proven to work in several conditions (like preventing flu) in several serious works . However it does not mean that if i would go and take random part of elderberry bush in random time of year in random time of development and randomly package it somehow it would work. Certain parts has to be used, certain concentrations of active ingridients has to be present ,and it depends on season. It has to be extracted and packaged accordingly. All those things need to be proven before any claim is made. Pill of oil extract of elderberry root taken 10 years ago in winter will not work,for example. So before claims are made ,product has to be checked as supporting those claims.

Originally posted by EthanT
Yep. Especially since organic foods may be potentially hard to come by soon.

www.naturalnews.com...

Unless you are growing them in your back yard, using organic methods, i think it is safe to assume that WholeFoods is the biggest scam of the ORGANIC community...IMO

I'm glad the feds stopped them. There could have been a lot of people running around drinking juice thinking it is good for them. Silly company. They should have known only the FDA decides what is and what is not good for us. They are the only ones stopping big pharma from testing pharmaceuticals on us that could be harmful to our health just for profit.

reply to post by EthanT


Another fluff piece from naturalnews.com

According to the FDA's complaint, Wyldewood Cellars makes claims in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) that its elderberry juice concentrate cures, treats, or prevents various disease conditions, including AIDS, diabetes and flu. The complaint was filed on May 27, 2011, in the U.S. District Court of Kansas.

1

Unless of course you think Elderberries cures/treats/prevents AIDS...





Admission of guilt:

Wyldewood responded by promising to remove all such claims from its websites, the FDA said. But the FDA said it discovered during subsequent inspections that the company continues to make the same claims.

Read more: www.kansas.com...

Revising all our advertising efforts to comply with FDA regulations

Changing the labels on all juice concentrate packages to conform with FDA-required wording

Meeting with FDA consultants to review and affirm our compliance efforts
We anticipate this process will go smoothly and expect to be in full FDA compliance very soon.

1

Consequence:

Authorities did not confiscate anything, but just sequestered it so they cannot sell any of it until the issue is resolved. He said his attorney is now talking to their attorney to find out exactly what is the problem. Read more: www.kansascity.com...

So the company has admitted wrong doing and also stated they are going to resolve the issue. They were marketing a product fraudulently.

This happens in the drug industry too, and people should be equally outraged with both. Not sympathetic because a spin piece was published on naturalnews.com

Originally posted by whaaa
Amazing....

There is a meth lab in every trailer park in every city across the US and the marshals go after elderberry juice.

Somehow this makes sense as I watch America become some kind of surreal parody of itself; completely controlled by big pharma, big energy, and Walmart.

Yeah: Idiocracy. Art imitating real life:


Costco Greeter: [Greeting every customer] Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you.

Frito: Yah I know this place pretty good, I went to law school here.
Pvt. Joe Bowers: In Costco?
Frito: Yah I couldn't believe it myself, luckily my dad was an alumnus and pulled some strings.

Rita: You think Einstein walked around thinkin' everyone was a bunch of dumb #s?
Pvt. Joe Bowers: Yeah. Hadn't thought of that.
Rita: Now you know why he built that bomb.

IPPA Computer: Welcome to the Identity Processsing Program of Uhmerica! Please insert your forearm into the forearm receptacle!
[Joe inserts his arm]
IPPA Computer: Thank you! Please speak your name as it appears on your current federal identity card, document G24L8!
Pvt. Joe Bowers: I'm not sure if...
IPPA Computer: You have entered the name "Not Sure." Is this correct, Not Sure?
Pvt. Joe Bowers: No, it's not correct...
IPPA Computer: Thank you! "Not" is correct. Is "Sure" correct?
Pvt. Joe Bowers: No, it's not, my name is Joe...
IPPA Computer: You have already confirmed your first name is "Not." Please confirm your last name, "Sure."
Pvt. Joe Bowers: My last name is not "Sure!"
IPPA Computer: Thank you, Not Sure!
Pvt. Joe Bowers: No, what I mean is my name is Joe...
IPPA Computer: Confirmation is complete. Please wait while I tattoo your new identity

Originally posted by boncho


Unless of course you think Elderberries cures/treats/prevents AIDS...

As related to the flu, some folks do use it for that with good results:

en.wikipedia.org...
www.caring4cancer.com...

The antioxidant nature of Elderberry juice may help with AIDs and with preventing cancer.

www.livestrong.com...
www.webmd.com...

I think if the FDA really did just look out for false claims, that would be great. We need that!

The problem is the FDA has revolving doors between it and Big Pharma, Monsantos, etc, and is controlled by them to some extent. So, they have an agenda too.

There are plenty of natural supplements that DO have peer-reviewed scientific research showing their medicinal usefulness (tumeric, astaxanthin, even Tulsi Tea, etc). But, they are given ZERO credence by the FDA. Probably because they are competitors to BigPharma, and the rest.

This is what the Free Speech About Science Act is all about- to allow businesses to make scientifically valid claims about natural supplements and products. Because, right now they can't.

Anyhow, that's what bothers me about it.

Originally posted by boncho
Admission of guilt:

Is it an admission of guilt? Or, an unwillingness to be squashed out of business by the FDA?

Guess I better get ready. Next thing you know the Feds will be kicking in my door and tossing my house for my secret stash of elderberry wine and jelly! Elderberry juice- go figure!

reply to post by EthanT


We would need to see the rest of the details. This is from a heavily biased site that earns its living making health claims to sell products. Most such health claims have always been false or misleading. Snake Oil Salesman have been with us since the first tribal Witch Doctor and the health food and supplement industry is mostly made up of them.

Do you have the exact health claims made by that company or a link to them? What claims are they making? Are the claims backed up by legitimate studies or are they Old Wives Tales? A photo or copy of their labels before and after the claimed changes would reveal the truth. Your not going to get to the truth on that site or from their customers and advertisers.

If I ever see Men In Black Suits climbing through my pumpkin patch, they're gonna end up in a baggie and sent back to headquarters.

Food Police need to get a real life.

reply to post by littled16


You need to read the article. This has nothing to do with Elderberry juice. They were cited for making false health claims. Only one side is presented by an obviously biased site. The text of the claims before and after are not even in the article.

reply to post by jude11


The food police is another story. Drop them all on an island and let them dictate to each other.

I'm with you on that one but this article is not about that. This article is about the company lying on the labeling or advertising. We are left to take their word for it as no needed details are given for obvious reasons.

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by jude11

 

The food police is another story. Drop them all on an island and let them dictate to each other.

I'm with you on that one but this article is not about that. This article is about the company lying on the labeling or advertising. We are left to take their word for it as no needed details are given for obvious reasons.

Yeah, I got that.

I just can't understand where these guys get the time to bust the little guys for juice when the bigger guys get away with false advertising and mislabeling on a daily basis.

Can't go after the big ones so get the little fish instead.

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by EthanT

 

Do you have the exact health claims made by that company or a link to them? What claims are they making? Are the claims backed up by legitimate studies or are they Old Wives Tales? A photo or copy of their labels before and after the claimed changes would reveal the truth. Your not going to get to the truth on that site or from their customers and advertisers.

Hi Blaine91555,

If the Free Speech About Science Act was actually passed, I suspect only one of their claims would be allowed on the bottle - treatment for the flu. There does seem to be evidence for that.

Here is the FDA article: www.fda.gov...

Although, there is insufficient evidence for treatment of AIDS, diabetes and cancer, I tried to show in my post above, the claims are not outright lies either.

Cancer has been shown to be linked to chronic inflammation and potentially prevented to some extent by antioxidants. Elderberries fall into both those categories, so common sense might dictate drinking elderberry juice regurarly may lower your chance for getting cancer.

I wasn't aware of the diabetes one, but a quick search showed this may not be far off either:

www.livestrong.com...

"Several animal studies, such as the one published in the September 2009 edition of the "Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry," have revealed that the polyphenols present in elderberry extracts help lower the blood sugar and fat levels in diabetic animals."

But, I don't want to completely defend what this specific producer put on their product, because ...

The whole point I wanted to make with that post was less about snake oil salesmen, than it was about the Free Speech About Science Act. There's no doubt there are people who would sell you a can of motor oil, while trying to convince you drinking it would cure hanta virus, if you happened to catch it.

But, the fact is, there IS peer-reviewed scientific research out there for many natural substances. The FDA does not pass these through there process. The whole FDA thing is less about science, and more about profits for BigPharma. Free Speech About Science Act would hopefully change that, allowing people to make scientifically valid claims about products.