Dietary Supplement Firms Fined for Selling Steroid-Laced Drugs

Two companies found guilty of selling muscle building supplements tainted with illegal drugs have been fined by a federal court in Idaho. According to an article published on nutraingredients-usa.com, DCD LLC and its subsidiary Advanced Muscle Science were fined $125,000 and ordered to enact more rigorous safety protocols to ensure future products sold by the companies will not contain unapproved substances.

In a statement issued by the Department of Justice, these rulings were intended to “… protect the public from synthetic steroids masquerading as dietary supplements.”

Dietary Supplement Side Effects Update 8/14/12: An article published in next month’s issue of Consumer Reports investigates the risks involved with taking vitamins, minerals, herbs, and so-called ‘dietary supplements.’ The report states that a large number of supposedly natural products are laced with active ingredients found in prescription drugs, and that users often experience serious side effects after taking them.

Free Dietary Supplement Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured by a dietary supplement, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer of the dietary supplement and we can help.

What’s the problem?

For selling products containing illegal synthetic steroids, the Idaho federal court fined:

• California-based R&D Holdings LLC (doing business as Culver Sports, Bradley Asgard, and Bjorklund) $21,000;
• Nevada-Registered DCD LLC and its subsidiary Advanced Muscle Science $125,000

The dietary supplements at issue were:

• Microdrol
• Methyldrostanolone
• Orafinadrol 50
• Dienedrone
• Liquidrone

In addition to the fines, these firms were ordered to put more detailed testing protocols in place to ensure future products would not be tainted with illegal or unapproved substances. And despite the fact that R&D Holdings no longer makes supplements or drugs, the court ordered the company not to do so for two years from the date of sentencing as a condition of its probation.

In response to these rulings, US attorney Wendy J. Olson said: “These prosecutions and today’s sentencings are necessary to protect the public from synthetic steroids masquerading as dietary supplements.

DCD, LLC’s testing protocol and R&D’s agreement not to manufacture these products are positive steps for the dietary supplement industry as it struggles throughout the country to ensure that consumers are using only safe products.”

The issue of spiked dietary supplements recently made national headlines after an investigation by the Dr Oz Show found radically high levels of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in products from a number of retail outlets.

Related Articles: 

• Bodybuilding.com Supplement Recall
• Retailer Pleads Guilty to Spiking Supplements With Steroids
• GNC Supplement Lawsuit
• Craze Pre Workout Supplement Case

Read more here to find out which dietary supplement lawsuits our lawyers are currently accepting.

FAQs

1. How Can Consumers Identify if a Dietary Supplement Contains Steroids?

Consumers can identify steroids in supplements by checking labels for banned substances, reviewing third-party lab results, and being cautious of products with unverified or dubious claims.

2. What Are the Legal Implications of Using Dietary Supplements That Contain Steroids?

Using supplements with steroids can lead to legal issues, including fines or legal action for possession of banned substances, and potential liability for health complications caused by the steroids.

3. Who Is Responsible if a Dietary Supplement With Steroids Causes Harm?

Responsibility may lie with the manufacturer for failing to disclose steroid content, the distributor for improper handling, or the consumer if they knowingly used a banned substance.

Do You Have a Dietary Supplement Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in dietary supplement lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new dietary supplement injury cases in all 50 states.

Free Dietary Supplement Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured by a dietary supplement, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a dietary supplement injury suit and we can help.