WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Department of Justice obtained a court-ordered injunction against Iowa Select Herbs that will prevent distribution of alleged adulterated dietary supplements, said principal assistant attorney General Benjamin Mizer on Aug. 17.
Mizer, head of the DOJ's civil division, said U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa issued the permanent injunction against the company, Gordon Freeman, president and CEO, and partial owner Lois Dotterwich.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration filed a lawsuit in Iowa alleging the manufacturing process was done under conditions that couldn't ensure the quality of the supplements. The company makes the dietary supplements from plant extracts, including a product called “Cold BeGone,” which allegedly is made from natural ingredients.
The lawsuit also alleges the company said its dietary supplements could treat or prevent some diseases including cancer, heart disease and malaria. However, the supplements were never submitted for approval by the FDA, and haven't been found effective for those treatments, Mizer said.
Under the court-ordered injunction, the company is prevented from stopping production and distribution of all unapproved, misbranded and adulterated products, and to recall the supplements that have previously been sold.
The company also agreed to stop the manufacturing and distribution of any dietary supplements or drugs, and can't resume until it achieves approval from the FDA.