ANNAPOLIS, Md. — An Annapolis woman purchased a probiotic online in April. She took the daily supplement for months then received an email from Amazon in July informing her that the product may be counterfeit. Amazon offered to refund her money but would not agree to test the pills or release more information on the seller.
WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii contacted the parent company of Align, P&G, who confirmed they were conducting an analysis of the counterfeit product. More than two months later, P&G has released their findings.
In an email, a spokesperson wrote:
We have analyzed samples of the products identified to be counterfeit, and our initial testing indicates the counterfeit product does not pose a safety hazard to consumers. The counterfeit products contain corn starch, gelatin and significantly lower amounts of active probiotics than authentic Align.
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The spokesperson confirmed that corn starch and gelatin are not found in authentic Align.
The statement included how counterfeiting presents a large challenge and "manufacturers of counterfeit products will likely find alternative ways to distribute their counterfeit products." In addition, anyone with concerns about counterfeit Align are encouraged to contact P&G with questions, and should consult a healthcare professional if they experience any negative health effects.
To read more about this story and learn how Amazon is working to combat counterfeiters, click here.
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