Jump to content

MonaVie

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ott jeff (talk | contribs) at 18:36, 19 November 2009 (Company overview: This information is relevant because it adds new information to the story, Rhode Island Red – you will notice that I have used one of your previously cited sources, The Deseret). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

MonaVie
Company typePrivate
IndustryNutrition
Founded2005
Headquarters,
United States
Area served
North America, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Israel
Key people
Dallin Larsen, Henry Marsh, Dell Brown, Randy Larsen, Amy Cowley, Brig Hart, Orrin Woodward
ProductsAçai berry juice: MonaVie Original Blend, MonaVie Kosher Blend, MonaVie Active Blend, MonaVie Pulse Blend, MonaVie Gel Packs, MonaVie Active Gel Packs
WebsiteMonaVie.com
MonaVie bottles.

MonaVie is a nutritional beverage company distributing beverage products made from blended fruit juice concentrates with freeze-dried açaí powder and purée through a multi-level marketing (MLM) business model. Marketing claims suggest the products provide antioxidants and health benefits. In 2009 Inc. magazine listed MonaVie as number 8 on their list of fastest growing privately owned American companies.[1] All has not been completely rosey for MonaVie though, it has been the subject of some controversy; the product's value, novelty, and the legality of health benefit claims are questioned. The company, its executives, and various senior distributors were involved in five lawsuits between 2007 and 2008.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][6][9][10] Monavie was the plaintiff in trademark infringement suits launched against rival companies Fruitology and Amazon Thunder, and was the defendant in false advertising suits filed by Amway, Imagenetix, Oprah Winfrey, and Mehmet Oz.

Company overview

MonaVie juice was launched in January 2005 by MLM company Monarch Health Sciences, which was founded in 2003 as a distributor of diet and weight loss supplements. In 2005, the executives of Monarch founded MonaVie LLC/MonaVie Inc., a privately-held MLM company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The newly formed company took over the bottling, distribution, and marketing responsibilities for MonaVie juice products. Monarch Health Sciences and MonaVie, Inc. were founded by Dallin Larsen, who graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. degree in finance.[11] Larsen previously held senior executive positions with the MLM companies Dynamic Essentials and Usana. According to company sources, MonaVie juice was developed by Ralph E. Carson, now the company's Chief Science Officer. MonaVie, is the largest consumer of the acai berry outside Brazil and harvests its berries using only sustainable methods. The company also is a leader in acai research and regularly plants new acai palms, which have a better environmental impact than older trees.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).


Executives

  • Dallin Larsen, Chairman and CEO[12]
  • Henry Marsh, Executive Vice President[13]
  • Randy Larsen, Executive Vice President/Chief Operations Officer (former)[13]
  • Charles Brink, Executive Vice President[14]
  • Dell Brown, President, Chief Operations Officer (current)[13]
  • Devin D. Thorpe, Chief Financial Officer[13]
  • Jeff Graham, Vice President of Product Development[15]
  • Amy Cowley, Executive Vice President [16]
  • Wayne Moorehead, Vice President of Marketing[17]
  • Steven King, Vice President of Distributor Services and Human Resources[18]

Medical and scientific advisory boards

The Monavie Scientific Advisory Board[19] consists of the following members:

  • Nathan D. Wong
  • Penny Kris-Etherton
  • Alexander G. Schauss
  • Stephen T. Talcott (as of August 2009)

The Monavie Medical Advisory Board,[20] which was replaced by the Monavie Scientific Advisory Board in 2009, consisted of the following members:

  • Ralph Carson (Chief Science Officer)
  • Mike Kennedy (Chief Medical Officer)
  • Denise Bruner
  • Lyle Mason
  • Jose F. Allongo
  • Vicki Berkus
  • Roger Rinn

In September 2009, Monavie, Inc. was ranked eighteenth on Inc. magazine's 500/5000 ranking of the fastest-growing private companies (based on claimed revenue from 2005 to 2008) in the United States (#1 in Food & Beverage category; #3 in revenue)[21] However, as a privately-held company, MonaVie isn't required to publish financial data, making such claims difficult to judge.[22] In June 2009, MonaVie CEO Dallin Larsen was one of eight Utah business owners to receive the Entrepreneur of the Year in the Utah Region award from accounting firm Ernst & Young.[23]

Product overview

The MonaVie product line has three forms of bottled juice—MonaVie Original, MonaVie Active, and MonaVie Pulse—as well as gel pack versions of the products and an energy drink, MonaVie EMV. The juices are sold at a suggested retail price of $39 (MonaVie Original) to $45 (Monavie Active and Pulse) per one 750-mL (25.5 oz.) bottle. The manufacturer's recommended daily serving size is 2 to 4 ounces.[24]

MonaVie Original and Active juices list the following ingredients: blend of açaí (freeze-dried powder and whole juice); 100% fruit juice from concentrate (white grape, apple, acerola, aronia, purple grape, cranberry, passion fruit, apricot, prune, kiwifruit, blueberry, wolfberry (goji), pomegranate, lychee, camu camu); fruit purée (pear, banana, bilberry); citric acid, sodium benzoate. In addition, MonaVie Active lists d-glucosamine hydrochloride and esterified fatty acids as additives.[24]

Monavie Pulse juice, launched on September 25, 2008, lists the following ingredients: blend of açai (freeze-dried powder and whole juice), reconstituted fruit juice blend (Concord grape blend, pineapple, apple, prickly pear, pomegranate, elderberry, yumberry, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, raspberry, aronia), puree fruit blend (acerola, strawberry, cupuaçu, camu camu), plant sterols (emulsified with corn syrup solids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, gum acacia), Apple Phyto-Phenolics (polyphenol blend), omega-3 (cranberry seed oil), resveratrol, natural flavors, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium benzoate (preservative), citric acid. According to the company, 4 ounces of MonaVie Pulse provide 0.8 g plant sterols. [citation needed]

Monavie product brochures from 2006[25] indicate the the juice is manufactured with Opti-Acai, a powdered ingredient made by freeze-drying frozen acai pulp. A patent application for Opti-Acaí was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2004 by developers Alexander G. Schauss and Kenneth A. Murdock.[26] and approved by the U.S. Patent Office on July 21, 2009.[27] According to the website of Monavie Black Diamond distributors Corbin Roush and Holly Roush, the company that markets and holds the patent to Opti-acaí, K2A International, is a business partnership between Schauss, Murdock, and MonaVie vice-president Jeff Graham[28]

Product research

In a company-affiliated study, the antioxidant activity and phytochemical content of Monavie Active juice were measured in vitro. It was reported that the juice had an ORAC score of 22.8 μmol/mL and that it contained 0.47 μg/mL total proanthocyanidins and 1.48 mg/mL total phenolics.[29] The study included two tests for serum antioxidant activity: the ORAC test and the CAP-e assay (a method newly developed by the study authors). In the preliminary phase of the study, which included five healthy adult subjects, Monavie was found to have no effect on serum antioxidant activity as measured by the ORAC test but led to a modest increase in activity as measured by the CAP-e assay in a subsequent randomized controlled portion of the study in twelve subjects. The effect of Monavie on serum lipid peroxidation was equivocal. Lipid peroxidation did not differ significantly between groups at one hour and two hours following consumption of Monavie juice or a placebo (purple dyed potato flakes in a capsule). However, in a secondary analysis, in which each test subject’s response to Monavie juice was compared to the same person’s response to placebo, a significant reduction of lipid peroxidation (approximately 20%) in serum was observed at two hours post-consumption.

The Study concluded that "ingestion of the MonaVie juice blend (JB) demonstrated a substantial antioxidant capacity for protecting cells from oxidative damage in vitro in this study. Furthermore, JB consumption led to a rapid increase in serum antioxidants, as measured by the cell-based assay for protection from oxidative damage. JB consumption also resulted in a statistically significant decrease in serum lipid peroxidation within 2 h of consumption. This effect is likely due to increased serum antioxidant capacity." [29]

Distributor earnings

Monavie products are offered to the public via a network of non-employee distributors who are eligible to receive commissions based on product sales. Individual distributors are encouraged to build their own sales networks by recruiting new distributors to sell the products (referred to in multilevel marketing parlance as a "downline"); the recruiter can, in theory, receive additional commissions based on sales by their downlines.[22][30] Various stipulations in the distributor contract determine the eligibility requirements for payouts on sales commissions and bonuses (e.g., maintaining minimum monthly order volume, achieving required sales volume levels, balancing weak and strong legs in the binary plan, etc.). From 2005-2009, new distributors were required to pay a $39 USD signup fee and an annual renewal fee. However, as of Q1 2009, the signup fee requirement was dropped.[31]

Regarding the earnings prospects for Monavie distributors, a Newsweek reporter commented that, based on MonaVie's 2007 income disclosure statement, "fewer than 1% qualified for commissions and of those, only 10% made more than $100 a week." More than 90% were counted as wholesale customers, whose earnings Newsweek said were mostly discounts on sales to themselves. According to a top recruiter, the dropout rate in 2008 was around 70%.[22]

According to an article published by the Hartford Courant, the Monavie 2008 income disclosure statement shows that about 45% of the company's distributors earned an annualized average check of less than $1,600, and 37% took home about $2,000; approximately 2% earned an annualized average check of more than $29,000, and just 7 out of 80,000 distributors (<0.01%) took home more than $3 million.[32][33] In an article published in Deseret News, Monavie Executive VP Henry Marsh responded to Newsweek's analysis of distributor earnings, stating that "...more like 14 percent..." of distributors make a profit.[34]

MORE project

The company founded and operates a charitable organization known as The MORE Project or MonaVie's Operation Rescue.[35] based in South Jordan, Utah. The organization's director is Katy Holt-Larsen, who took over the position from Charles Brink (now serving as Chief Counsel for Monavie LLC).[36]

Criticism

Nutritional value disputed

Critics of MonaVie include physician Andrew Weil and nutritionist Jonny Bowden, who claim that the nutritional and health benefits of MonaVie juice are not proven and that the product is exorbitantly priced relative to more cost-effective conventional antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries, raspberries, and pomegranates.[37][38] According to Men’s Journal, a nutritional analysis conducted by ChromaDex,[39] a contract-testing laboratory, showed that MonaVie Active juice “tested extremely low in anthocyanins and phenolics” and that “even apple juice (which also tested poorly) has more phenolics”.[40] The report also noted that “MonaVie’s vitamin C level was 5 times lower than that of Welch’s Grape Juice."

Misleading advertising and health claims

Bowden, Newsweek correspondent Tony Dokoupil,[22] and Palm Beach Post reporter Carolyn Susman[41] commented on the use of misleading promotional testimonials by MonaVie distributors in which the product was said to prevent and treat a variety of medical conditions. Dokoupil noted that “the FDA warned MonaVie about medicinal claims on its Web site” in reference to the Food and Drug Administration's action against MonaVie distributor Kevin Vokes in July 2007. According to the FDA's warning notice, Vokes had promoted MonaVie as a drug in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)] by claiming that it was effective for treating inflammation, high cholesterol, and muscle and joint pain.[42] The FDA was ultimately satisfied with the company's response[22] after the claims on the offending website had been greatly dialed down.[41] In a 2008 article in Forbes magazine, reporters Emily Lambert and Klaus Kneale described MonaVie as a pyramid scheme and noted that a MonaVie video testimonial by distributor Louis “Lou” B. Niles implied that the product could cure cancer.[43] Niles, who claims in the video to be a doctor and an end-stage cancer specialist, is introduced at the distributor-sponsored meeting by Monavie executive Jason Lyons.[44][45]

Company executives have repeatedly acknowledged ongoing problems with Monavie distributors making unlawful claims that the juice can treat and prevent diseases. A Newsweek article published August 2, 2008, noted that CEO Dallin Larsen “realizes that his sales team can get him in hot water with the Feds”, and in reference to the company's ability to investigate distributors suspected of making false claims, Larsen commented that “it’s next to impossible; like herding cats.” [22] A November 4, 2008 statement from the company noted: “many distributors, perhaps unwittingly, have engaged in methods of advertising that are in violation of MonaVie’s policies. Such actions put our business and yours at an unnecessary risk.”[46] In a May 14, 2009 Bloomberg News article, Monavie executive vice-president and cofounder Randy Larsen was quoted saying that "the company is struggling with independent distributors who promote the juice as a miracle drug.” [47]

Dallin Larsen and Dynamic Essentials/Royal Tongan Limu

MonaVie CEO and founder Dallin Larsen was previously a senior executive with an MLM company that sold a similar juice product prior to being shut down by the FDA for illegal business practices. According to Newsweek correspondent Dokupil, Larsen, who was “a 20-year-veteran of the multi-level marketing industry", "left a senior post at another juice company in 2002, a year before the FDA destroyed the company's ‘bogus products’ that were being falsely promoted to treat ‘cancer, arthritis and attention deficit disorder’." The company in question, Dynamic Essentials, distributed an MLM juice product known as Royal Tongan Limu juice.[7][22] According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Dynamic Essentials, from 2001 to 2003, had illegally advertised that Royal Tongan Limu ””was clinically proven to cure, prevent, or treat a range of diseases and disorders such as allergies, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.”[48]

Pyramid scheme allegations

In spring of 2008, Larsen formed a business partnership with former Amway distributor (Quixtar in the US) Orrin Woodward, founder of an Amway distributor sales network company known as TEAM. Woodward subsequently became a distributor and speaker for MonaVie, mixing his TEAM organization structure and distributor sales tools (e.g. sales brochures, audio/video recordings, etc.) concept with MonaVie's compensation plan. In 2008, Forbes magazine reporters Emily Lambert and Klaus Kneale noted:

“Team is one step ahead of all these juice selling schemes. It is a pyramid atop a pyramid. It is selling motivational aids to help MonaVie vendors move the juice. But wait. If you can't earn back the $258 you've spent on the motivational lectures by selling $39 juice bottles, you could earn it back in another way—getting people to buy $258 motivational lectures. If you're good, you flog the lectures to other people, who sell them to yet others. Everybody gets rich. Everybody, that is, except the last round of buyers. That's the theory, anyway. The reality is that a mere 1% of Team members make any money from involvement with the firm.” [43]

Regarding pyramid scheme issues, Lambert and Kneale elaborated:

”In a 1979 regulatory action involving [Amway], the Federal Trade Commission attempted to draw lines between legitimate and fraudulent pyramids. The ones that are legit focus on getting revenue from consumer goods sold to retail customers. The FTC did not, however, define ‘retail’ in that case. That leaves plenty of wiggle room for guys like Orrin Woodward; he counts the vast majority of people in his (MonaVie) pyramid, who seemingly try but fail to make money, as retail customers.” [43]

Litigation

On July 11, 2007, Monarch Health Sciences, the company that launched MonaVie, filed a lawsuit with the Utah district court against rival açaí juice manufacturer Amazon Thunder,[2] alleging that owner/founder Todd Reum had made “harmful, false, and defamatory statements" about MonaVie which "purportedly injured Monarch’s reputation”.[3] The suit sought $75,000 in damages. On November 15, 2007, the Utah district court ruled to dismiss the case against Reum.

On November 8, 2007, Monavie, Inc. filed a trademark infringement suit against Fruitology, a rival acai beverage (Fruitavie) manufacturer, in Utah District Court. Monavie voluntarily dismissed the suit on March 20, 2008.[4]

On March 17, 2008 MonaVie preemptively filed a lawsuit with the Utah district court asking for a ruling as to whether Quixtar Inc. and Amway Corp. had been over-reaching the boundaries of its non-compete agreements and address whether or not such agreements are enforceable for independent distributors.[5]

On March 18, 2008, Quixtar North America filed a multi-count federal court complaint against the MonaVie company and 16 of its distributors (John Brigham Hart, Lita Hart, Jason Lyons, Carrie Lyons, Lou Niles, Farid Zarif, and 10 anonymous defendants) for unfair competition.[6] The complaint alleged that MonaVie competed unfairly by making false claims about its products.[7] According to a company press release, MonaVie filed to dismiss the Amway/Quixtar lawsuit on April 15, 2008.[49] On November 12, 2008, MonaVie et al. filed a lawsuit in the Colorado District Court against Quixtar[8]

On May 5, 2008, the MonaVie company, its board of directors, and several of its senior distributors were sued by Imagenetix, Inc. for $2.75 billion over trademark infringement arising from false claims that Monavie Active juice contained the ingredient Celadrin.[6][9] The case was settled out of court and the lawsuit was dropped on May 20, 2008.[50] On June 2, 2008 Imagenetix annouced that it had entered into a new business relationship with MonaVie, the terms of which were not disclosed.[51]

An August 20, 2009 article in the Chicago Sun-Times reported that television celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Mehmet Oz filed suit against 40 companies that are either selling açaí or related products, with their name endorsements on them." According to their complaint, such companies are "fabricating quotes or falsely purporting to speak in Dr. Oz's and/or Ms. Winfrey's voice about specific brands and products that neither of them has endorsed." [10] Monavie Inc. was one of the companies named as a defendant in the lawsuit.[52] Winfrey’s website elaborated that “consumers should be aware that neither Oprah Winfrey nor Dr. Oz are associated with nor do they endorse any açaí berry product, company or online solicitation of such products, including MonaVie juice products."

References

  1. ^ http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2009/the-full-list.html
  2. ^ a b United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division (July 11, 2007). "Monarch Health Sciences, Inc. vs. Amazon Thunder, Inc. et al". www. dockets.justia.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  3. ^ a b United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division (November 15, 2007). "Monarch Health Sciences, Inc. vs. Amazon Thunder, Inc. and Todd Reum". Retrieved 2008-09-27.
  4. ^ a b "Monavie Inc vs. Fruitology". Docket #2:07cv00920; United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division. March 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  5. ^ a b "Monavie LLC vs. Quixtar, Inc./Amway Corp" (PDF). United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division. March 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  6. ^ a b c d Laura Hancock, "MonaVie Sued for 2.75B", Deseret News, May 16, 2008
  7. ^ a b c "Quixtar Inc. Plaintiff, vs. MonaVie, Inc., MonaVie LLC, John Brigham and Lita Hart, Jason and Carrie Lyons, Lou Niles, Farid Zarif, John Does 1-10," (PDF). United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  8. ^ a b "Mona Vie, Inc. et al. v. Quixtar Inc. [Case# 1:2008cv02464". United States District Court for the District of Colorado. November 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  9. ^ a b "Imagenetix, Inc. vs. Monavie LLC et al" (PDF). United States District Court for the Southern District of California. May 05, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b Mark Bieganskion (August 20, 2009). "Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz suing over 'false' açaí berry endorsement claims". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  11. ^ "Usana Health Sciences Inc · DEF 14A For 27 May 1999 [Filed 12 April 1999; SEC File 0-21116; Accession Number 927356-99-647]". sec.edgar-online.com. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  12. ^ "The Monavie Executive Team". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  13. ^ a b c d "MonaVie Executive Team". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  14. ^ "Monavie on the Move (Oct. 2006)" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  15. ^ "MonaVie: On The Move -- Friday Afternoon and Breakout Sessions". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  16. ^ "MonaVie Executive Team: Amy Cowley". Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  17. ^ "San Francisco Regional Meeting Recap" (PDF). Monavie On The Move (Q1): 5. 2007.
  18. ^ "MonaVie Names Steven King VP Of Distributor Services And Human Resources". Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  19. ^ http://www.1888pressrelease.com/monavie-appoints-recognized-experts-to-new-scientific-adviso-pr-99047.html
  20. ^ http://www.docstoc.com/docs/533121/Monavie-Presentation
  21. ^ http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2009/the-full-list.html
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Tony Dokoupil (August 2, 2008). "A Drink's Purple Reign". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  23. ^ http://www.ey.com/US/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/PNW_UTAH_Article_2009_Award_recipients
  24. ^ a b "Monavie Product Information (2006)" (PDF). Monavie, Inc. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  25. ^ "Monavie product information page" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  26. ^ "Jucara and açai fruit-based dietary supplements (WO 2004/084833). K2A Inc. (Application Number PCT/US2004/008739)". World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  27. ^ MonaVie US Patent, retrieved October 21, 2009
  28. ^ "Acai expert Jeff Graham speaks on MonaVie and Acai" (PDF). www.buildthejuice.com. Retrieved 2009-03-21. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 24 (help)
  29. ^ a b Jensen GS, Wu X, Patterson KM, Barnes J, Carter SG, Scherwitz L, Beaman R, Endres JR, Schauss AG (2008). "In vitro and in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of an antioxidant-rich fruit and berry juice blend. Results of a pilot and randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study" (pdf). J Agric Food Chem. 56 (18): 8326–33.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Monavie compensation plan" (PDF). Monavie LLC. August 29, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  31. ^ Dallin Larsen (March 9, 2009). "Monavie on the Move". Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  32. ^ Janice Posada (July 19, 2009). "Acai's Payoff". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  33. ^ http://media.monavie.com/pdf/us/compensation_plan_en.pdf Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  34. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700250138/Henry-Marsh-a-success-story.html?pg=3 Retrieved July 22, 2009
  35. ^ M.O.R.E. Project, retrieved July 28, 2008
  36. ^ "The MORE Project". themoreproject.org. 17 February 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  37. ^ Andrew Weil (8 February 2008). "Thumbs Down on MonaVie?". drweil.com. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  38. ^ Johnny Bowden (June 11, 2008). "New Rules: No More Claiming Mona Vie Cures Cancer!". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  39. ^ "ChromaDex Inc. Homepage". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  40. ^ Jamie Beckman (December 04, 2008). "Superjuices on Trial". Men’s Journal. Retrieved 2008-12-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ a b Carolyn Susman (July 16, 2008). "On Health: FDA checks product claims on the Web". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
  42. ^ Jennifer A. Thomas (July 6, 2007). "FDA warning letter to MonaVie distributor Kevin A. Vokes" (PDF). FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Division of Enforcement. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  43. ^ a b c Emily Lambert and Klaus Kneale (August 11, 2008). "Climb to the Top". Forbes. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  44. ^ "Monavie distributor meeting featuring Lou Niles and Jason Lyons". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  45. ^ "Monavie Executives". Monavie.com. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  46. ^ "Compliance Update: Advertising and Unauthorized Claims Policies (Monavie Policies and Procedures)". Monavie LLC. Tuesday, November 4th, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ Adriana Brasileiro (May 14, 2009). "'Superfood' Promoted on Oprah's Site Robs Amazon Poor of Staple". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  48. ^ "NBTY, Inc. to Pay $2 Million Penalty For Alleged Violations of FTC Order". U.S. Federal Trade Commission. October 12, 2005. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  49. ^ "MonaVie Files to Dismiss Quixtar Lawsuit". eMediaWire. April 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
  50. ^ "Trademark Suit Against MonaVie Dropped", May 20, 2008
  51. ^ "Imagenetix Enters into Business Relationship with MonaVie"
  52. ^ Tom Harvey (August 21, 2009). "Oprah sues Utah companies over false endorsements". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2009-10-21.

Further reading