The FDA issued a press release on Tuesday revealing US Marshals had seized 4,000lbs of raw material – Cissus quadrangularis and Cassia angustifolia extracts – containing ephedrine alkaloids from a warehouse in Rancho Dominguez, California.
Ephedrine alkaloids are adrenaline-like stimulants that have been banned for use in dietary supplements since 2004.
The raw materials had been “imported by Infinity Marketing Group, Inc.”, said the FDA release, which was widely reported by several publications, including NutraIngredients-USA.com.
Mistaken identity
However, Infiniti Marketing Group, Inc, which is based in Laguna Niguel, CA, and is not connected to the FDA seizures in any way, immediately started receiving calls from customers wondering what was going on, managing director Rick Zielomski told NutraIngredients-USA.
“We have been getting calls from customers about this and we have no idea what this is about.
“We are Infiniti Marketing Group, Inc., with an i not a y. We are not located in Rancho Dominguez, CA, nor do we warehouse there.”
He added: “We have not imported any goods for over a year now from any foreign county, especially Cissus quadrangularis and Cassia angustifolia extracts – containing the ephedrine alkaloids.”
The FDA confirmed that Infinity Marketing Group Inc with a ‘y’ and not Infinity Marketing Group with an ‘i’ was the target of its enforcement action.