Blossom Nature

The FDA has its eyes on Amazon sellers.

As part of a recent crackdown on companies selling supplements marketed to treat depression, the FDA sent warning letters to two Amazon sellers for claims appearing in product listings on the e-commerce giant’s site.

One of those sellers was Blossom Nature, which in an Amazon listing for its St. John’s Wort proclaimed the supplement “the best treatment for depression, anxiety and stress.”

In its Feb. 18 warning letter to Blossom Nature the FDA also cited Only FDA-approved drugs can be marketed as having the ability to diagnose, cure, treat, prevent or mitigate a disease. appearing on the company website, including that its St. John’s Wort “is [as] effective as prescribed antidepressants but with no side effects.”

A total of 10 companies received warning letters for what the FDA called the illegal sale of supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent depression and other mental health disorders. Before the pandemic, one in five Americans lived with a mental illness; now, the number is two in five.

This is not the first time the FDA has targeted a company in Amazon’s vast ecosystem.

In May 2020, the FDA sent warning letters to five “Amazon associates” that participate in Amazon’s affiliate marketing program citing unapproved claims to treat the coronavirus. The companies included a CBD seller. Amazon was copied on each of the five warning letters.

Find more of our coverage on Amazon here.