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The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) notifies consumers of further cases of misusing the concerns of the public in relation to the COVID-19 disease, namely by some sellers of food supplements on the Internet.

Certain sellers propagate food supplements, inter alia, by means of prohibited medical claims and unauthorized health claims promising alleged effects after getting infected with coronavirus. Following cases were concerned:

1. Advertising and sale of foodstuffs on https://www.parazitivnas.cz/, by Zapper-Club s.r.o. The inspected person offered “Immunity package ANTI-COVID-19”; banner on the website advertised foodstuffs Quinton hypertonic, Vitamin C, Betaglukan Maxcell 80%, Reishi ganoderma and Moringa oleifera. Already the denomination of the package itself contained medical claim “ANTI-COVID-19” and the description of the package contained text “prevention of coronavirus”.

As regards individual foodstuffs contained in the package, further prohibited medical claims such as “Anticovid”, “destruction of moulds, viruses and bacteria in body, antibiotics and antivirotics”, “attacks of virus infections” were used.

2. Internet sale on http://www.biobeauty.cz, inspected person: BioBeauty s.r.o. The operator of the website offered following foodstuffs in subsection titled “Coronavirus”. Energy Flavocel natural food supplement, Energy Imunosan natural food supplement and Oro Verde Sangre de Drago/Dragon blood. Already such denomination of the subcategory is regarded as unauthorized medical claim and consumers may have impression that the foodstuffs in question have medical effects.  

3. Internet sale on e-shop www.zelenazeme.cz, inspected person: Zelená Země s.r.o. In the article published on the website under name “CBD vs. koronavirus”, the operator offered food supplements containing CBD as a prevention against coronavirus. CBD is a synonym for cannabidiol which belongs into the group of substances called cannabinoids.  Products CBD capsules - 100 pieces (*1000 mg CBD), CBD Cannabis oil 10%, 10 ml, and CBD Coconut oil 170 ml were concerned.

The inspected person used unauthorized medical and unauthorized health claims, such as “It seems that CBD constantly reduces sensitivity of all types of virus infections...” “Using 2 capsules of CBD or 6 drops of 5% of CBD oil is sufficient for supporting your immunity”, “CBD tranquillizes immune hyper-reaction, namely in lungs”, “CBD supports immune substances”.  

4. Advertising notices on website www.energy.cz/cz/, inspected person: ENERGY CZECH REPUBLIC a.s. The website in question and electronic leaflet which was available here contained medical claims related to foodstuffs offered here such as  “CORONAVIRUS”, “Infection disease caused by coronavirus “, “coronavirus disease”, “With symptoms similar to ordinary flu. The difference is only a long-term fever, further incubation period and more significant infectiousness.”  “CORONAVIRUS – HOW TO DEFEND EFFECTIVELY?, prevention – strengthening – regeneration”, “VITAMARIN OR FURTHER HELP IN FIGHT AGAINST COVID- 19”.

Medical claims were used for example in relation to foodstuffs DRAGS IMUN, Grepovit, Flavocel, Vironal and a range of further offered products.

Using prohibited claims the operators mentioned above violated requirements of Regulation No. 1169 on the Provision of Information on Foodstuffs to Consumers.

CAFIA strongly warns both consumers and operators that from the point of view of legislation, food supplements are regarded as foodstuffs and therefore they cannot be assigned by any medical or preventive effects which are reserved to medicaments only.

CAFIA will initiate an administrative procedure on imposition of a fine to the inspected persons.

CAFIA constantly detects further cases of suspicion of unauthorized medical claims at food supplements just in relation to the virus pandemic and with regard to the results of these inspections, the Authority will continue with inspections of this segment in the future.

CAFIA has already informed consumers of similar detections in its press release of 19^th March 2020.

Article by: Mgr. Pavel Kopřiva – CAFIA Spokesperson, phone: +420 542 426 633   

27^th March 2020