Feds Seize Elderberry Juice Over Health Claims

WASHINGTONU.S. Marshals acting on behalf of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 3 seized elderberry juice products distributed by Kansas-based Wyldewood Cellars Inc. because the products are unapproved and misbranded drugs.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Kansas, Wyldewood Cellars violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) by claiming its elderberry juice concentrate cures, treats or prevents various disease conditions, including AIDS, diabetes and flu.

FDA previously issued a warning letter to Wyldewood Cellars for violating the FFDCA by promoting and distributing its products as drugs. The company responded to the warning letter promising to remove all such claims from its websites; however, FDA discovered it continued to make the claims.