The manufacturer of a dietary supplement was fined UAH 450,000 for deceiving consumers: AMCU
On the packaging of "Feminozidtm" it was indicated that the product strengthens immunity, although this has not been scientifically proven.
The manufacturer of the Feminozidtm dietary supplement spread false information about its product, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) reports. The product’s packaging and website claimed that the supplement “contributes to general strengthening of the body” and “boosts immunity,” which was not supported by scientific research. There was a corresponding decision approved AMCU
AMCU recognized that “Bichels” LLC violated Article 15¹ of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection from Unfair Competition” by spreading misleading information. This violation concerns false information that was placed on the package of the dietary supplement “Feminozidtm” and on the company’s website. In particular, the website additionally stated that the product “helps with diseases caused by the human papilloma virus, including the oncogenic type (HPV)” and other diseases.
During the investigation, the AMCU applied to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for clarification on the claimed properties of the dietary supplement. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported that it has no information about the existence of scientifically confirmed studies that would confirm these statements. In addition, the Ministry of Health emphasized that products that claim to have pharmacological or immunological properties must be entered in the State Register of Medicinal Products of Ukraine. However, “Feminozidtm” is not registered as a medicinal product, and the company “Bichels” did not provide relevant evidence.
According to AMCU, the information specified on the packaging and on the website could have influenced consumers’ decisions to purchase the product, which gave the manufacturer unfair competitive advantages.
In addition to admitting the offense, the company was fined UAH 450,000. As reported by the AMCU, during the investigation of the case “Bichels” LLC stopped spreading false information about the properties of the dietary supplement.
