Fake global brands and powdered sugar: how dubious dietary supplements are sold through popular marketplaces in Ukraine

Biologically active or dietary supplements in Ukraine are very popular – it is a kind of remedy for all ailments in the world and for pain, and for heat, and for itching, hair loss, runny nose and even cancer. But perhaps the most popular are dietary supplements that should promote weight loss. 

It was one of these supplements that UNN drew attention to, thanks to a consumer who ordered a popular product through one of the marketplaces. 

The supplement in question is Alli. It is quite popular in many countries and, note that in some it is sold only as prescribed by a doctor. 

But in Ukraine, a product under such a trademark can be purchased , in particular, from the seller "Health and longevity", for example, on the bigl trading platform. 

World bestseller

Alli is a proprietary development of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The company received permission to sell this product on the US market in 2001, and in 2009 – a similar license was issued by the EU.  Since then, the drug has become quite popular in the fight against excess weight. It has become a kind of alternative to the fully prescription drug Orlistat in many countries of the world with a dosage of 120 mg. By the way, orlistat in a dosage of 120 mg is also a prescription drug in Ukraine. Alli contains 60 mg of Orlistat and, as we have already pointed out, is sold without a prescription in some countries. Some countries since launch, according to open information, have still set certain restrictions that comply with the manufacturer's warnings, in particular regarding the body mass index, which should not be lower than 28. 

Although Alli has received an over-the-counter license in the US and EU, it is still a medical drug with the active ingredient orlistat, which is a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor. 

Powdered pineapples 

So what do they sell to Ukrainian consumers? 

To begin with, you can buy Alli in many countries in pharmacies and even through marketplaces, in particular, ebay. 

In the store "Health and longevity" consumers are offered 20 capsules at a price of three hundred Hryvnia. That is, the cost will be approximately 2550 UAH for 170 capsules, which is not equal to 139 US dollars.  

In addition, abroad, even on online stores, the composition of the drug is clearly indicated and it contains orlistat, in an amount of 60 mg. 

What do we see in the description of Alli from Ukrainian sellers?

One hundred percent natural ingredients! Which ones remain a mystery to the consumer.

However, UNN the mysterious composition of the Ukrainian "Alley" became known: pineapple fruit extract, fucus extract, ginger root extract, celery extract, hibiscus flower petal extract, green tea extract and stevia extract. Such a "herbarium" has nothing to do with the substance orlistat. 

Such an additive is produced in Transcarpathia in the village of Trostnik at 13 Sholokhova street,which, by the way, has already been renamed Vinogradnaya street. The manufacturer is a certain FOP Martineko – no first name, no patronymic. Not a single company is registered in open registers at the address indicated on the package either. 

The health and longevity store actively sells a whole range of dietary supplements. 

Interestingly, the detailed composition is not specified – natural ingredients are everywhere.

The store has an interesting review.  

Although it should be added that most of the reviews about the seller are positive, but they mostly relate to the service. We assume, however, that these reviews may be made by the seller himself, or, unfortunately, indicate that customers are not aware of the products they buy. 

This is just one example of how Ukrainians are deceived on popular products. After all, there are many such stores, and in general dietary supplements are sold everywhere from pharmacy supermarkets to online stores and gas stations. After all, demand creates supply. 

It is interesting that dietary supplements in Ukraine do not belong to medicines and their turnover is not regulated by the State Medical Service, dietary supplements are classified as food products and the State Food and Consumer Service has to monitor them, which, by the way, recently reported that citizens quite often apply for this particular category of goods.  we add that on the packaging of the Ukrainian "Alli", we did not find mandatory instructions for dietary supplements that they should not be used as a substitute for a full-fledged diet, as well as a warning not to exceed the recommended amount for daily consumption. 

UNN will also contact the State Food and consumer service for information about the supplement discussed in the article, as well as about the situation with dietary supplements in general. We will also send a request to GlaxoSmithKline about whether they are aware of the use of Makarenko'S patented trademark in Ukraine.