Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s Office Joins FDMD Settlement with Purity Nutra, a Vitamin Supplement Manufacturer Accused of False Advertising
January 17, 2024
OAKLAND, CA — Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s Consumer Justice Bureau joined the California Food, Drug & Medical Devices (FDMD) Task Force in a stipulated $20,000 judgment against vitamin supplement manufacturer Purity Nutra, LLC.
“The evidence gathered suggested that Purity Nutra was making false and deceptive claims about its products to consumers that targeted seniors,” said Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. “By joining forces with the California Food, Drug & Medical Devices Task Force in this settlement, my office ensures consumers in Alameda County are protected, and Purity Nutra is forced to follow the law moving forward. This settlement reinforces the principle that companies must be held accountable for any false advertisements to consumers.”
The People’s investigation, which is resolved by this stipulated judgment, focused on Purity Nutra‘s Flex Joint Plus products and Bladder Max supplements and whether the company’s advertisements for those vitamin supplements violated California’s Sherman Food & Drug Act and the California Business & Professions Code sections prohibiting false advertising and unfair business practices. California’s Sherman Food & Drug Act prohibits non-FDA-approved drugs (including vitamin supplements) from being advertised as curing or having any effect on any disease, medical condition, affliction, or ailment (either directly by the company or via purported “customer testimonials”).
While the settlement allows Purity Nutra to continue to sell its vitamin supplements, the stipulated judgment includes an injunction requiring it to correct its advertising language to avoid misleading consumers and to follow all applicable consumer protection laws. The FDMD Task Force, comprised of District Attorney Offices from Northern and Southern California counties, monitors the vitamin supplement and medical device market, which the U.S. Food & Drug Administration does not regulate.
Contact: damedia@acgov.org
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The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is one of California’s largest prosecutors’ offices and is led by Alameda County’s first Black woman District Attorney, Pamela Price. Price brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Alameda County, no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code. Price has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and crime and bring change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow Madam DA on Twitter and Facebook @AlamedaCountyda.