Jan. 06--Federal authorities have seized nearly 90,000 bottles of dietary supplements containing a toxic ingredient called kratom from a natural products company in South Beloit, Ill.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that U.S. marshals took the supplements, worth more than $400,000, from Dordoniz Natural Products LLC.
The bottles were labeled RelaKzpro Rapid Relief Herbal Dietary Supplement and contained kratom, a plant that grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Kratom can lead to respiratory depression, vomiting, nervousness, weight loss and constipation, according to a related complaint filed in federal court in Chicago.
Kratom consumption has also been linked to neurological, analgesic and sedative effects, addiction and liver toxicity, the complaint said. The substance has also been linked to mitragynine, an alkaloid that can produce effects similar to morphine, the complaint said.
Company officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The raid took place in South Beloit, a small town about 100 miles northwest of Chicago.
johnrussell@tribpub
