GuruNanda LLC – FDA Warning Letter, Mar 6, 2020

On March 6, 2020, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a Warning Letter to GuruNanda, LLC, regarding the sale of unapproved and misbranded essential oil products marketed for COVID-19. The FDA reviewed GuruNanda's website (www.gurunanda.com) and social media (Twitter, Facebook) in February 2020.

The FDA determined that GuruNanda's essential oil products were offered for sale with claims intending to mitigate, prevent, treat, cure, or diagnose COVID-19. These products are considered unapproved new drugs under section 505(a) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 355(a)) and misbranded drugs under section 502 (21 U.S.C. 352). The introduction of these products into interstate commerce is prohibited by section 301(a) and (d) (21 U.S.C. § 331(a) and (d)).

Examples of violative claims include statements about essential oils targeting viruses like "CoronaVirus," linking to analyses of essential oils against pathogens with COVID-19 hashtags, and promoting essential oils for "preventative therapy" against coronavirus. The company also offered discounts using the code "Corona" and claimed their products could decrease chances of infection.

GuruNanda must