Invima launches an alert against “fat-burning” products for not having a health record

The Ithem presented three health alerts for products that promise fat loss, among other therapeutic virtues, with so-called natural products, which are marketed through the Internet. He National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance guarantees that the supplements do not have the health registry, so that their distribution in the market represents a health risk for Colombians.

The products in question are: Arsenal, Ashwagandha 500 mg and 1000 mg and Amargo del Perú. The first claims to be a fat burner; the second is a plant that in other countries is used to combat stress. In the case of the third party, the laboratory that produces it does not even have a license to operate in Colombia.

In addition to not having a phytosanitary register, the Invima ensures that these substances are considered as fraudulentIn addition, they endanger the health of their consumers by ignoring their composition, storage, transport and marketing methods.

“Invima has warned of the risks posed by this type of fraudulent product for human consumption, which is why it insists on calling on the consumer to always check the health registration number of the product and to confirm its authenticity”, details the ‘entity.

In alerts, Invima invites consumers to enter its website, where they can view their own name, active ingredient and/or elements, origin and authenticity of products purchased from the market.

In the event that these products are found on the market, citizens are invited to report their distribution to the authorities, which can be done through the entity’s digital channels.

In the case of Arsenal, the Invima sure that it is a fraudulent product, which had already been called into question because of the risks it presents to health, this because the origin of its components is called into question:

“ARSENAL is allegedly marketed as a fat burner. This product is currently not covered by a health register issued by the competent authority and its sale in Colombia is illegal (…) since it is not covered by a health register, it does not offer guarantees of quality, safety and efficacy, representing a risk for the health of consumers (…) On several occasions, the Institute has warned of the risks that these types of products present for the health of those who use them, and they also allude to unauthorized properties which raise false expectations about the true nature, origin, composition or quality of the products”.

The considerations for Ashwagandha 500mg and 1000mg are similar to those above. Although it does not detail the functions or features of it, it does acknowledge it, if used in some international healthcare systems, such as in India. The particular problem with this product is that it does not have a health record since several aspects of its manufacturing and distribution:

It is essential to alert the community in general to the product in question and the risk it may represent for the consumer, taking into account that the aspects of quality, safety and efficacy are not known; as well as particulars such as its composition, manufacturing process, storage conditions, transportation, distribution, indications, contraindications, precautions and warnings are also unknown.

For the last product, Bitter from Peru, even the laboratory that produces it has no authorization. Moreover, herbal medicine, as envisaged by Invima, has not been tested to determine its consequences or effects on the human body:

“Invima has not authorized the sanitary registration of this product in Colombia and that Laboratorios Natural Light MN is not reported as an authorized manufacturer by the Drugs and Biologics DirectorateTherefore, the marketing of Amargo del Perú in the country is illegal (…) With regard to this product, it should also be specified that, since it does not have a health register from Invima, it has not been evaluated in terms of quality, safety and efficacy, representing a health risk. Moreover, their conditions of composition, storage, transportation and distribution in the country are also not known.