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FACT: MARKET AMERICA'S GENE SNP DNA ANALYSIS KIT WORKS PERFECTLY.
An article appeared in the July 27, 2006 issue of USA Today that mischaracterizes Market America in its criticism of home DNA testing kits. Entitled "GAO pounces on home DNA tests to predict disease," the article focused on a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which contends that these kits mislead consumers and falsely predict disease. Both the report and the article suffer from faulty reasoning.
To start with, Market America was mentioned in the article along with several other DNA testing kit manufacturers, including the one that creates the Gene SNP™ DNA Screening Analysis we market, Sciona. As we make abundantly clear to our customers and Distributors, we market the Sciona kit as a product broker; we take no part in its manufacture. Furthermore, we do not conduct laboratory genetic testing, as does Sciona. We simply sell the kits while Sciona supervises the DNA testing procedures and report generation.
Market America was the only marketer mentioned in the USA Today article. We should not have been grouped with manufactures of home DNA testing kits. This is not our business model - we are a one-to-one marketing company that functions as a product broker to meet consumer demand.
The second item we take issue with concerns the methodology in the GAO report. The investigator took DNA samples from a 9-month old girl and a 48 year-old man and used them to create 14 different fabricated questionnaires that were sent to four businesses offering DNA testing kits, including Market America. When the reports came back with 14 different results, the investigator concluded that the tests were obviously flawed.
This was an erroneous conclusion - there should have been 14 different results! "The variation reported in 14 test reports has a valid explanation," stated Sciona in a recent statement concerning the GAO report.
"The GAO supplied genetic material from two individuals but supplied 14 different lifestyle questionnaires from 14 fictitious consumers. The service Sciona provides is based on an analysis of lifestyle questionnaires and genetic screening together. The genetic-based recommendations remain constant, while different lifestyle questionnaires for each consumer will yield different results because of their different nutrition and lifestyle practices."
Since the Gene SNP DNA Screening Analysis combines a genetic evaluation with a lifestyle profile, the same DNA variations with different lifestyle data, including age differences, will produce different results. This actually validates the DNA kits that Sciona and Market America provide, and serves to differentiate us from others who are suspect. The strong science behind our Gene SNP DNA Screening Analysis is based on numerous clinical studies and scientific literature, and is conducted in state-of-the-art laboratories utilizing advanced proprietary software.
Market America has notified USA Today of the inaccuracies in its article. We stand proudly behind our Gene SNP DNA Screening Analysis, the science behind it and our Sciona partners.
The FTC has issued a Bulletin relating to these products that you may find helpful and actually gives credibility to our product.
* We find it interesting that USA Today chose to negatively report on a product they ranked as #3 in a list 2006 Innovations
FACT: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATES DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.
The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) places responsibility for testing and evaluation of supplements on the individual supplement maker. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for enforcement should any problems occur with the product itself. Dietary supplement makers are strongly encouraged to ensure the safety of their products before they are made available to the public and allow the FDA to maintain advisory and enforcement position over the industry.
Market America’s scientific affairs department, a team of scientists, medical professionals and doctors, works to ensure the proper formulation of every supplement and extensively tests each production run. When you receive a bottle of any Market America-exclusive product, you can rest assured that it has met the company’s high standards.
FACT: NONE OF MARKET AMERICA’S PRODUCTS CONTAIN EPHEDRA.
Previously Market America did sell several high-quality products that contained ephedra. In 2004 the FDA banned the sale of ephedra. Before the ban took effect, Market America ceased selling any products that contained ephedra.
Market America does offer substitutes to ephedra-based supplements. These natural alternatives help maintain effectiveness of the product.
FACT: MARKET AMERICA IS A MEMBER OF LEADING DIETARY SUPPLEMENT TRADE GROUPS.
Market America is a member in good standing of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), a trade association dedicated to promoting responsible sale and use of herbs and herbal products.
The company is also a member of the Utah National Product Alliance that serves to monitor safety, science and quality in the dietary supplement industry.
FACT: MARKET AMERICA’S PRODUCTS ARE USED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING DOCTORS AND CHIROPRACTORS VIA ITS NUTRAMETRIX DIVISION.
Market America’s nutraMetrix program provides health professionals with safe, reliable, physician-approved dietary supplements. Many health professionals take pride in recommending nutraMetrix products to enhance the quality of their patient’s lives.
To Learn more about nutraMetrix, click here.
