Ephedra Products Seized From Pennsylvania Supplier

At the request of the FDA, U.S. marshals have seized more than $13,000 worth of adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements from a Pennsylvania firm believed to be marketing products containing ephedrine alkaloids.

The marshals, operating under a forfeiture order issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, seized six lots of supplement products from ATF Fitness Products, based in Oakmont, Pa. The targeted products included ATF's SciFit Procut and Thermogen II supplements.

The FDA's action came after an investigation that determined the products either contained ephedrine alkaloids or claimed to contain the substance. The agency conducted an inspection of ATF's facility last October, and issued a warning letter Nov. 19, 2004, that outlined the company's infractions.

The FDA issued a final rule in April 2004 prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids, which have been linked to numerous adverse events.