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Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

This was recently brought to my attention by a visitor of the site. The companies involved are ASN, QFL and SNI:

FDA Takes Enforcement Action Against Three New Jersey Dietary Supplement and Protein Powder Manufacturers
Companies failed to declare allergens in products and correct filthy conditions

The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Quality Formulation Laboratories, Inc., American Sports Nutrition Inc., Sports Nutrition International LLC and Mohamed S. Desoky, who oversees operations at all three companies.

The companies, located in Paterson, N.J., manufacture dietary supplements and protein powders and distribute them throughout the United States. The companies also export powder mixes and dietary supplements for sale by private label customers.

The government\’s complaint, filed July 1, 2009 in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, alleges that the companies have failed to follow current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) by manufacturing and storing food under filthy conditions and in conditions that may cause major food allergens to enter into products not intended to contain them.

The complaint also alleges that the companies failed to disclose major food allergens on the product labels and have other labeling problems.

During a recent inspection, FDA investigators found that several of the companies’ products contained milk ingredients that were not declared on the product labels. In addition, the company failed to clean processing equipment between batches and control allergens in the facility.

FDA investigators also discovered live and dead rodents and rodent urine, feces and gnaw holes on bags of product.

In three inspections, FDA investigators noted deviations from GMP standards. The companies promised to make corrections, but they failed to do so. The complaint requests a court order to stop the companies and its officer from manufacturing and distributing the products until needed corrections are made.

“This company has consistently failed to correct filthy conditions in their plants and to make sure that allergens are appropriately declared on the labels, despite frequent warnings to do so,” said Michael Chappell, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “The FDA will not tolerate companies that fail to provide adequate safeguards.”

Consumers with allergies to milk ingredients who have used these products and are experiencing any symptoms should contact their health care professional.

Consumers can report problems with FDA-regulated products to their district office consumer complaint coordinator.

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Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Here is another review for a shaker cup I received from www.ShakeItUpCup.com. This cup is similar to some of the other shaker cups that I have used before, but has a few notable differences:

1. The ridges on that go around the top really help you screw the top down tight, and help you get a good grip when removing the top after you have screwed it on tightly.
2. The screen seems to attach to the top rather than resting in the cup. At first, I didn’t quite understand, but then I plugged the scree into the top and it stayed really well. This is nice because it helps keep the screen and the top together, so you have fewer pieces to worry about when washing and drying.
3. The overall manufacturing quality of this cup is pretty good. The plastic is thick, solid and feels rather durable. The cup doesn’t leak at all, even when shaken really hard. Some of the other shaker cups I have used in my years had similar designs, but the quality of the cup just didn’t feel very solid. This cup feels strong and gives me the feeling that it will last.

I used this cup a number of times for several different protein powders, and noticed that the mixing results were better than some other cups. Even my poorly mixing proteins (won’t mention any names) were able to come out mostly smooth from this cup.

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Thursday, November 13th, 2008

I received the “Turbo Shaker” cup compliments of TurboShaker.com

This shaker cup is different from any other shaker cup I have used for several reasons:

1. The lid does not screw on. At first, I was afraid that super hard shaking would just blow the top off and I would spill my protein shake everywhere. I was cautious first, but then became more comfortable with the idea as I noticed the lid really stayed on well.
2. Instead of having some sort of screen between the cup and lid, this cup has some fins at the top and bottom which help in the mixing process. As I shake, I can actually see the liquid inside starting to rotate.
3. There are only a total of two pieces, instead of four. Most shakers consist of the cup, screen, top and lid. The problem is cleaning all those parts, and often times losing the little lid down the drain or in the dishwasher. The turbo shaker only has two pieces, so it is a lot easier to keep together.

After doing a few mix tests, it doesn’t seem like the turbo shaker mixes any better than any other shaker cup. I was surprised since I thought the turbo fins would really assist in the mixing process. I guess it is pretty hard to really tell if they are working or not since I shake my protein shakes so hard anyway.

Overall, the Turbo Shaker is a convenient way to mix your protein shakes or any other supplements that need mixing. With the two piece design, it is a lot easier to hang onto this one.

Find out more at: http://www.turboshaker.com/

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