Is It Safe To Buy Moringa Products from India

Hi Friends,

I have had two people email me this question. There is not an easy answer but I will give you the honest answer. The first consideration is quality. The second is FDA problems and customs problems. My experience will clarify the complexity of this answer.

Please go here to Protest S. 3002 where the FDA is trying in October to  reclassify herbs and supplements as drugs.   http://dev.healthfreedoms.org/content/reject-s-3002-nutritional-supplement-prohibition-act

Is Ordering Moringa Products from India Safe?

Quality: There are many companies selling Moringa powder and caps from India. What they tell you on their website does not mean anything really. You need to contact the agencies that grant them their organic status if they are stating their products are organic.

Problems in Buying Certified Organic Moringa from India:

I investigated several companies that stated they were organic. When I asked for proof, they either didn't write back or said they didn't give out that information. One company was using a falsified organic certificate. I learned that the hard way by giving them an order, never hearing from them, then investigationg them through Europe, and finding out they were crooked. I lost $600.00 on that order.

The one company that did provide proof and were found to be legal by Lacon and NPOP, had no experience shipping to the United States.  I will tell you why that is important next.

The one company I did originally order from was Yelizir. They are Not orgainic certified. Their product, although not organic certified, does seem to be really quality product. I did not have the money to personally test the product at a lab. That is quite expensive. Most of my customers have called me to say the product seemed to really help them and have reordered. I have only personally taken their products.

What happened with the other company? This is the second part of the problem.....customs and FDA.

When I ordered Yelixir's products, they came by Fed Ex. Fed Ex has its own custom agents. I had no problem receiving my orders. Their labels and packaging are professional. They know what must be done to get their products through the FDA and Customs. My mistake was changing companies to try and buy organic certified.

The trouble with products from foreign countries:

When I ordered from the other company, they did not have the experience they professed, to ship to the US. Their labels were shoddy and unprofessional. The packaging was not tamper proof and not professional. They sent it by a regular shipper. It got flagged in customs and by the FDA for improper labels. The packaging was not tamper proof, so that sent up flags. They held it for purity samples. It was charged with improper labeling.

The worst problem was that the Indian company whose website url was listed on the packaging, made claims for its benefits for high blood pressure and diabetes. It had no import history so it was really given the treatment. In the end after weeks of waiting, it was rejected as an unapproved drug because of the claims made in India. I had the choice to return it under FDA supervision or destroy it under FDA supervision. I lost $1000 on that order.  I did finally get a refund from that company but it was a real nightmare. I only got the refund, because I had become friends with the head of Lacon in India. He put pressure on them for their shoddy labels. This company had A1 reviews from Lacon and from the lab that tested their product in India. Yet, their labels and packaging were shoddy.  So without any other leads in India for quality organic certified, I gave up on that.

FDA Red Tape:

Ordering Moringa or any other herb from a foreign country is a gamble. Even if its the most professional, quality product on the marketplace, the FDA or Customs can reject your order. There are thousands of rules for labels, bottles, product, and such that no company can keep track of them all. There are attorneys who specialize in helping companies make sure their product is up to code and who will fight the FDA to get a product released from their red tape. These lawyers only win 40 per cent of the time against the FDA. It can take many thousands of dollars and months to get your product cleared. The FDA will give you no real help to transverse the red tape. They tell you to hire an attorney. I went through all of this with one little package. I got no where with them. This is how they harass you out of business with red tape and charges. The FDA has a huge bias against supplements and herbs. It is all about profit and greed. As a company and importer you must pay huge fees to get your labels re-cleared. You must pay for inspections or problems they perceive. In the end most small companies give up for lack of money to fight them. This is why it is so important for you to protest S. 1310 this month. In October, the FDA is going to try to reclassify herbs and supplements like fish oil as drugs. That will give them the excuse to take off thousands of products and raise the price on the few they clear. You must stop this. 

Why I sell Yelixir's Products on my site and on this blog:

I know they are a high quality product that can pass FDA and Custom clearance. I use their products myself when I don't have fresh leaves. I have had others tell me how the product helped them. So This is the answer I have for you.

Search Amazon.com for moringa powder  by

Why Order Through Amazon?  If you order through Amazon, you can make sure you will receive your order. You will get your money back if their is a problem with delivery. It is safe to buy through them. At this point, I don't want to take the chance of import problems with the FDA. I am small and losing $1000 really hurt. It took me months to get my money back. This is why I have you order through Amazon and not myself personally.