Retesting Confirms Lack of Ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia Supplement

White Plains, New York, December 6, 2013 — Retesting of a dietary supplement reported in October to contain significantly less of a key ingredient than listed on its label corroborates the original findings from ConsumerLab.com. The product, Labrada Nutrition Garcinia Cambogia, was one of six Garcinia supplements found by ConsumerLab.com to contain significantly lower amounts of HCA, a key natural component of Garcinia, than expected from labels. Labrada Nutrition challenged ConsumerLab.com's results based on its own tests suggesting the product contained more HCA than reported by ConsumerLab. However, the retesting last week found just 49% of the listed amount of HCA, even less than the 60% found earlier by ConsumerLab.

The retesting was conducted under ConsumerLab.com's Policy Toward Manufacturers and Distributors of Products that Fail to Pass CL Testing, which permits companies to challenge findings but requires both ConsumerLab.com and the requesting party to publish the results of a re-test. The testing was conducted in a qualified analytical laboratory of mutual acceptance to Labrada and ConsumerLab using an agreed-upon analytical method. The sample tested was obtained from a previously unopened bottle of Labrada Nutrition Garcinia Cambogia purchased by ConsumerLab in August for its report. All bottles purchased by ConsumerLab display the same lot number (#80310513) and expiration date (06/2015).

As required under ConsumerLab's retesting protocol, Labrada has posted information about the retesting on its website. Although not originally disclosed to ConsumerLab.com prior to the retesting, Labrada now notes that additional recent tests by an independent laboratory commissioned by it found variation in the amounts of HCA within the same lot of product ranging from 81.2% to 98.3% of the labeled amount. ConsumerLab.com asked Labrada to supply the original test results for both the ingredient and the finished product, as would have been conducted under current Good Manufacturing Practices before the product was originally marketed, but Labrada declined to provide this. According to Labrada's Vice President for Research & Product Development, Dave Ramirez, "Labrada is continuing to investigate the variation in test results in order to do what can be done to ensure that Labrada products continue to meet label claims.

ConsumerLab.com's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., commented "These findings underscore how important it is that companies formulate stable products, test all ingredients and finished products, and assure that their products continue to meet label claims by the time they're purchased and used by consumers." ConsumerLab.com's Product Review of Garcinia Cambogia Supplements is found at https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/garcinia_hydroxycitric-acid_hca-weight-loss/garcinia/ and has been updated to reflect results of the retesting. Garcinia cambogia is a popular herbal supplement for weight management.

ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition since 1999. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online, providing immediate access to independent reviews of more than 1,000 products. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com, an evaluator of online pharmacies, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.



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