The Army and Air Force Exchange Service said 5 Star Nutrition has blocked the sale of the products, “Alpha Shredded” and “Trenatestin,” on military installations. (BreeAnn Sachs/U.S. Air Force)
Two dietary supplements sold at an Air Force base in Georgia have tested positive for steroids during a health probe, according to military investigators.
The products were discovered at Moody Air Force Base during a health and wellness inspection in December 2018.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service said 5 Star Nutrition has blocked the sale of the products, “Alpha Shredded” and “Trenatestin,” on military installations.
5 Star Nutrition stores are located at seven Army and Air Force bases: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Joint Base San Antonio in Texas; Fort Riley, Kan.; Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.; and Moody Air Force Base.
“If a product is determined to be unsuitable as to quality, value or other appropriate criteria by medical authorities, AAFES and its concessionaires take immediate action to remove it from shelves,” AAFES spokesman Chris Ward said in a statement.
The investigation was conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, which shared its findings with other military units in a bulletin that warned: “Supplements Sold at AAFES Exchanges May Contain Steroids.”
The suspected products were seized and submitted for laboratory testing, according to a July 3 alert from Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID.
“Soldiers may find a false sense of security when purchasing performance enhancing supplements from a legitimate and reputable business, even a business located at an AAFES Exchange,” stated the CID alert, which was posted on the popular military social media site Army WTF Moments. CID confirmed the document’s authenticity.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t test or approve dietary supplements before they are sold.
As a result, military services and their exchange stores have struggled for many years to keep up with the variety of potentially dangerous substances. The supplement OxyElite Pro Super Thermogenic was pulled from bases in 2011 after it was found to contain ingredients suspected in the deaths of two soldiers at Fort Bliss.
Since then, weight loss and muscle-building supplements sold on base have been found to have substances closely related to Prozac and methamphetamine, among others, before being pulled from shelves.
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