Feds Seize Ephedrine-Containing Herbal Ingredients

SILVER SPRING, Md.U.S. Marshals seized more than 4,000 pounds of botanical raw material containing ephedrine alkaloids, which fall under a 2004 FDA ban for use in dietary supplements. FDA authorized the seizure against by Infinity Marketing Group, Inc., in Rancho Dominguez, Calif., after chemical analysis confirmed the presence of these alkaloids, but these compounds were not disclosed on the shipping drum labels.  About $70,000 worth of Cissus quadrangularis and Cassia angustifolia extract ingredients were removed by the feds.

Ephedra and associated alkaloids, which were used widely in diet, energy and sports supplement, were banned by  FDA, because these compounds are  stimulants that can have potentially dangerous effects on the heart, including heart attack, stroke and death. Reports indicate ephedra and its alkaloids can raise blood pressure and tax the cardiovascular system.

"Working in close coordination with our federal colleagues in U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FDA helped identify and remove these potentially dangerous products from the marketplace," said Dara A. Corrigan, FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "We will continue to take enforcement action that prevents potentially harmful products from reaching consumers and endangering their health."