Austin company to forfeit $4.5M for misbranding dietary supplements

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, an Austin company pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging it with distributing misbranded dietary supplements. The company was Defyned Brands, also known as 5 Star Nutrition LLC.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the company acknowledged that from September 2018 to July 2020, it delivered misbranded dietary supplements.

“The company specifically admitted that shipments of products known as Epivar, Alpha Shredded and Laxobolic were misbranded,” the DOJ said.

According to a release, the products were marketed and sold as workout supplements at 5 Star Nutrition locations.

“As part of the plea, the company agreed to forfeit $4.5 million and comply with the terms of a compliance program and certain compliance reporting requirements,” the DOJ said.

KXAN reached out to Defyned Brands for a statement. This story will be updated if one is received.

According to the DOJ, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) investigated the case.

“Consumers deserve to know what is in the dietary supplements they take,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to investigate dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors who sell products that do not comply with the law, including through criminal enforcement where appropriate.”