The National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) in Colombia issued three health alerts in early June regarding Sascha Fitness products, a brand of supplements and beverages by Venezuelan influencer Sascha Barboza. According to Invima, these products are being marketed fraudulently and do not have the required permits for sale in the country. This action has caused a stir on social media, where the brand enjoys significant popularity.
What Does Invima Say?
A spokesperson from Invima, who requested anonymity, explained to the Venezuelan media outlet El Pitazo that Sascha Fitness products have sanitary registration for food but not for dietary supplements, which is the appropriate category based on the benefits they promote. “According to Invima’s regulations, there are indeed differences between food and medication, so they fall into the dietary supplement category,” the source stated.
Invima based its actions on a decree from Colombia’s Ministry of Social Protection, approved in 2006, which establishes guidelines for the labeling and distribution of dietary supplements. These products are meant to supplement the normal diet and serve as concentrated sources of nutrients and other substances with physiological or nutritional effects. The agency warned that Sascha Fitness products have not been evaluated for quality, safety, and efficacy, and they reference unauthorized properties that lead to false expectations regarding their nature, origin, composition, or quality.
What Does the Distributor Say?
Sascha Fitness products have been sold in Colombia for the past four years through Green Performance SAS, a company based in Envigado, Antioquia, which is the official distributor of the brand in the country. This company issued a statement acknowledging that the product labels bore the term “dietary supplement” and that these labels have now been removed. “We have also asked all official distributors to suspend the sale of products with this labeling,” the statement indicated.
El Pitazo attempted to contact representatives of Green Performance SAS for an interview on June 7 but received no responses to inquiries made via phone or through the website saschafitnesscol.com. The Invima spokesperson noted that the distributor has two options to reintroduce the brand to the Colombian market: the quickest option is to change the product labels to sell them as food and retain their permits, or to request a change to the dietary supplement category, which could take between one to two years. Additionally, consumers were alerted that Sascha Fitness products purchased from the official website in the United States and shipped to Colombia via courier services could be seized at customs, as Invima oversees cargo reviews.
What Does Sascha Fitness Say?
Sascha Barboza is a business administrator, personal trainer, and fitness nutritionist from Venezuela. At 38 years old, she is one of the most followed influencers in Venezuela, with over 5.4 million followers on Instagram. She has authored two recipe books, is a sought-after speaker, and has created her own line of supplements and beverages.
Barboza responded to several Twitter posts, asserting that she possesses the necessary documentation to market her products in Colombia. “We have all the permits and registrations from Invima dating back to October 2019, valid for five years. I have all the supporting documentation and sanitary records,” she tweeted. She also mentioned that the health alerts may be tied to counterfeit products and individuals engaged in the resale of her products, but the agency reaffirmed the health alerts.
What Do Experts and Consumers Say?
Lucy Libreros, health editor for Revista Semana in Colombia, stated in an interview on Shirley Varnagy’s radio program on June 7, that Sascha Barboza is a pioneer in fitness product sales in Colombia and occupies a significant position in the market. “These are products available from local gyms to large dietary product distribution centers. It’s a brand that has deep roots. She is a well-known figure in Colombia, so the impact this could have in terms of marketing is quite significant,” she emphasized.
Libreros explained that Invima conducts analyses of supplements to ensure they contain the ingredients listed on the label and deliver the claimed benefits prior to approving distribution. According to the Colombian agency, Sascha Fitness products have not undergone these tests to be classified as dietary supplements. “Sascha Barboza may have a valid point regarding the existence of a black market for not only her products. Invima frequently issues alerts for sexual enhancement products, weight loss items, and numerous other goods sold without due diligence or authorization. This is an area where Colombian authorities need to strengthen controls over the mass marketing of such products. If you visit downtown areas in big cities like Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, or Barranquilla, there’s definitely an oversupply,” added the health expert journalist.
An Invima spokesperson informed Revista Semana that they had received consumer complaints about Sascha Fitness products due to feelings of being misled with their purchases. “This is how they discovered that, despite these products being popular in Colombia for years, they did not meet or belong to the dietary supplement category,” Libreros noted.
El Pitazo confirmed that the products were removed from the online store of Farmatodo Colombia. An employee from a health products retail store told El Pitazo that most retailers opted to remove the products following Invima’s alert. “First, we need to clarify the situation because we can’t continue selling under those conditions; there could be legal sanctions,” they added.
The FDA’s position on Sascha Fitness products differs from that of Invima. According to the U.S. agency’s website, dietary supplements are products consumed to add to the diet in the form of tablets, capsules, gummies, powders, or bars. These products must include a supplementary information label indicating serving size, the number of servings per container, each dietary ingredient, and the amount of certain ingredients per serving. Furthermore, they must display a statement on the front identifying them as a “dietary supplement” or a similar term. The FDA does not evaluate or approve dietary supplements before marketing, but it does monitor their safety and efficacy once on the market.
The United States Reiterates Arrest Order Against Raúl Gorrín Belisario, Venezuelan Businessman Accused of Money Laundering $1 Billion
This is How They Describe Cesar Omaña Alcalá’s Role in Conspiracies and “Guisos” in Venezuela
Advertisement
