KUALA LUMPUR: Nutritional supplement brand Bonlife (M) Sdn Bhd is alerting consumers to be wary of the influx of counterfeit and fraudulent nutritional products, including fraudulent Bonlife-branded supplements that have entered the market.
Bonlife has been directly impacted by counterfeiters exploiting the brand's trusted reputation and online presence to sell and market their products.
Key Bonlife products targeted by counterfeiters include Bonlife Organic Sacha Inchi Oil Softgel, Bonlife SachaQ10 Plus Softgel, and Bonlife Sea Buckthorn Softgel.
Managing director Boey Lee said the spread of counterfeit supplements in Malaysia exposes consumers to serious health risks due to undisclosed and potentially hazardous ingredients in these products.
She said often, these ingredients include unknown chemicals and other pharmacological substances that have no place in legitimate nutritional supplements.
"We urge Malaysian consumers to exercise caution and ensure the authenticity of the products they purchase.
"By doing so, they can rest assured that they are investing in genuine, high-quality supplements that align with their health goals," she said in a statement.
In 2020, Channel News Asia aired Undercover Asia: Dangerous Fake Goods In Malaysia, a look at the growing local market for counterfeit products, including health supplements, cosmetics and fever pills.
Fast forward to today, Malaysian consumers continue to spend their hard-earned money on supplements hoping to improve their health, only to discover that dishonest merchants have sold them fraudulent, counterfeit products.
Counterfeit product manufacturers often cunningly imitate the appearance of genuine supplements, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between the real and the fake.
All Bonlife nutritional supplements are registered under Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) before they can be sold to the public.
All products registered by KKM are assigned a unique MAL number that is printed on the product label.
Consumers are advised to verify the presence of the correct MAL number whenever they purchase a product.
Also, all registered supplement products must bear the KKM hologram security sticker, FarmaTag.