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Since the beginning of the emergency state, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) has released 39 cases of misusing the concerns of the public related to COVID-19 disease by some sellers of food supplements on the Internet. These sellers offered their products using prohibited medical claims, namely indicating alleged effects against coronavirus. Food supplements are regarded as foodstuffs by legislation and therefore they cannot be assigned by any medical or preventive effects as these are reserved to medicaments only.

Summary of current detections:

  1. Website www.super.cz advertising food supplements, which could be purchased via a link to e-shop www.obezin.cz. In the advertising article, the inspected person stated, inter alia, following unauthorised medical claims: “Currently from China – with Czech fruit against coronavirus”, “protects against infection”, “key protection against viruses.” Company KR REAL s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  2. Website www.fitness007.cz advertising food supplements. In the advertising article, the inspected person stated, inter alia, following unauthorised medical claims: “Period of flu and cold usually starts in autumn and continues until spring. On the top of that, coronavirus, which does not need further introduction as there is plenty of it in the media, complemented classic diseases. The question of strengthening our immunity system is more urgent than ever before.” Company Sport Fitness Product s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  3. Food supplements offered on www.pilulka.cz, where the inspected person made a subcategory of food supplements under title “Coronavirus”. The name of the bookmark itself is regarded as a prohibited medical claim. Company Pilulka Distribuce s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  4. Food supplements offered on www.lekarnasokolska.cz, where the inspected person made a subcategory of food supplements under title “Anti-COVID”. The name of the bookmark itself is regarded as a prohibited medical claim. Company OTHER CORP s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  5. Food supplements offered on www.avita.top, where the inspected person stated, inter alia, following unauthorised medical claims: “Antivirus package, 100% prevention of diseases, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects as well as during internal inflammatory disease of organs, inflammation and pain of musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, urinary tract inflammation, respiratory diseases and asthma, therapeutic effects during diabetes. Company AVITA BOHEMIA, s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  6. Website www.akcezivot.cz advertising food supplements, where the inspected person released article titled “Coronavirus  SARS-CoV-2“ followed by recommendations including advertisement and unauthorised medical claims: “With their effects, they would practically cover every health problems of human organism, solution for health problems starting with a beginning of a flue disease up to collapse of liver, kidneys, heart muscle or nervous disorders such as epilepsy or palsy.” MVDr. Lubomír Chmelař, Brno is the inspected person.

  7. Advertising article released on www.eshop.alfafit.cz contained unauthorised medical claims related to foodstuffs Colostrum, grepofit drops and VITAMIN C mix such as: “Coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 or new coronavirus or nCov or Wuchan coronavirus“, “Symptoms of the disease could be easily confused with common flue”, “prevention and control of diseases.” Company AlfaFIT s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  8. Within advertising foodstuffs BW Pills Multi&Immunity and tea BV TEA ENERGY on www.bodywraps.cz, the inspected person stated unauthorised medical claims, such as: “increased temperature”, “dry cough and dyspnoea”, “coronavirus affects persons with weakened immunity”, “cancer and weakened immunity”, “prevention against infection”, “respiratory diseases”, “respiratory problems”, “coronavirus”. Company Body Wraps s.r.o. is the inspected person.

  9. Food supplements offered on www.fajnbyliny.cz, where the inspected person stated, inter alia, unauthorised claims, such as: “Medicinal mushrooms”, “Medicinal fruits, nuts and seeds”, “Current Virus Period”, “Asthma and bronchitis”, “Headaches, migraine”, “Pain in back, muscles and joints”, “Runny nose, cough and cold” and further. Jaroslava Koudelová, Horní Bříza is the inspected person.

Using prohibited medical claims the operators failed to meet requirements of Regulation No. 1169/2011 on the Provision of Information to Consumers as well as the Act No. 40/1995 Coll., on Regulation of Advertisement.

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

CAFIA currently deals with further cases of suspicion of the use of unauthorised medical claims at food supplements in relation to the virus outbreak. CAFIA will continue with the inspections of the use of unauthorised medical claims at this type of food supplements in the future.

CAFA has already informed of similar detections in its press releases of 27^th March 2020, 19^th March 2020, 8^th April 2020 and 17^th April 2020 and 11^th May 2020.

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

26^th May 2020