A nutritional product retailer has agreed to stop selling products that contain a synthetic amphetamine-like substance in Vermont, said state Attorney General William Sorrell.
Vitamin Shoppe agreed to the settlement on Thursday, and agreed to permanently ban the sale of the products that contain BMPEA, which can be found in some supplements that are sold for weight loss or performance enhancement. The store also agreed not to sell products that “are at risk of containing BMPEA,” which include products that list acacia rigidula as an ingredient.
Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said Thursday his office had reached a settlement with retailer Vitamin Shoppe to stop selling products that contain BMPEA, a synthetic amphetamine-like substance.
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“Products that contain BMPEA may pose serious risks to consumers,” Sorrell said. “The Vitamin Shoppe’s lead should be followed by all retailers so that products that contain BMPEA, or that are at risk of containing BMPEA, are removed from their stores.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested several weight loss products in 2013 that listed acacia rigidula as an ingredient, and found that several of the supplements containing BMPEA. The administration said recently BMPEA isn't a dietary ingredient, and products listing that it is are “misbranded,” Sorrell said.
The investigation into Vitamin Shoppe began after a study was done by Harvard Medical School, which revealed that BMPEA was found in a majority of the acacia rigidula supplements that were tested.