UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Federal Trade Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20580

 

June 5, 2020 

Via Electronic Mail

Youngevity International, Inc.

c/o Stephen Wallach, CEO

2400 Boswell Rd. 

Chula Vista, CA 91914 

Warning Regarding Health Claims Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 

(COVID-19)

Dear Mr. Wallach, 

FTC staff has reviewed Youngevity International, Inc.’s (“Youngevity”) corporate 

website and social media posts by Youngevity business opportunity participants or 

representatives that unlawfully advertise that certain products treat or prevent Coronavirus 

Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”). This letter is to provide you with information about laws and 

regulations enforced by the FTC that may bear upon your business activities, including the 

activities of your business opportunity participants and representatives. 

An example of a health claim made on your corporate website is: 

• “#FlattenTheCurve Shop Immune Support” (clicking on “Shop Immune Support” 

redirects to a page displaying various Youngevity “immune support” products for 

sale) 

Some examples of health claims made by your business opportunity participants or 

representatives include: 

• “Vaccines and Trick or Treat Medicine. The desire to trick the body rather than 

support the body. The desire to treat the body, rather than support the body’s 

ability to heal. Before I go on a Covid-19... talk... It is always better to be 

prepared. Preparation is everything. Let’s not allow them to allow more 

Americans to die needlessly.... So since most people are over 150 pounds, anyone 

who has Covid-19 should have: 1 Healthy Bran and Heart Pak [link to distributor 

sales page] 1 Healthy Bone and Joint Pak [link to distributor sales page] 1 

Immunity Health Pak [link to distributor sales page] With these, your body will be 

able to withstand and eliminate Covid-19 and the vaccines forthcoming for 

Covid-19. Also get your Rebound FX – Stay Safe. #youngevity #flattenthecurve 

#covid19 #coronavirus” 

• Speaker describes dangers of coronavirus and panic it has caused and then states, 

“Y por eso, hemos hechado mano de los expertos, para que sean ellos quienes nos 
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den recomendaciones específicas de qué hacer y cómo hacerlo. Preguntamos al 

doctor y científico Joel Wallach, una persona que ha sido nominada a un premio 

Nobel, y que sus libros han sido distribuídos por todo el mundo. Él menciona de 

que las personas que hayan fallecido por causa de este virus son personas que 

tienen su sistema imune muy bajo. Y es por eso que recomienda subir su sistema 

imune, fortalecer sus defensas. Al preguntarle cómo lo hacemos, nos decía tres 

cosas muy importantes, a lo cual Ud. debe de tomar nota ahora mismo. Lo 

primero es eliminar la cantidad de suciedad o toxinas del cuerpo. [image of 

Youngevity Liver Pure supplements.] Significa hacerse una desintoxicación 

integral. Lo segundo: darle al cuerpo una nutrición correcta. Recuerde que cada 

una de nuestras células requiere cinco ingredientes principales para funcionar de 

manera óptima. Estos cinco ingredientes distribuídos [image of various 

Youngevity supplements] en noventa nutrientes esenciales. El doctor y científico 

Joel Wallach nos recomienda la famosa formula de “90 for life.” Y la tercera y 

más importante recomendación es que Ud. tome acción ahora mismo...”1

It is unlawful under the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq., to advertise that a product can 

prevent, treat, or cure human disease unless you possess competent and reliable scientific 

evidence, including, when appropriate, well-controlled human clinical studies, substantiating that 

the claims are true at the time they are made. For COVID-19, no such study is currently known 

to exist for the products identified above. Thus, any coronavirus-related prevention or treatment 

claims regarding such products are not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. 

You must immediately cease making all such claims.

You are responsible for the claims of your business opportunity participants and 

representatives. As the FTC stated in the January 2019 Business Guidance Concerning MultiLevel Marketing, the compensation structure of a Multi-Level Marketing entity (“MLM”) may 

create incentives for its participants to make certain representations to current or prospective 

participants. “As a consequence, an MLM should (i) direct its participants not to make false, 

misleading, or unsubstantiated representations and (ii) monitor its participants so they don’t 

make false, misleading, or unsubstantiated representations.”

You are advised to review all claims relating to your business opportunity and 

immediately cease, and require your business opportunity participants and representatives to 

cease, making claims that are not supported by the evidence or substantiation described above. 

 1 “And that is why we have reached out to experts, so that they can be the ones to give us specific recommendations 

on what to do and how to do it. We asked the doctor and scientist Joel Wallach, a person who has been nominated to 

a Nobel prize, and whose books have been distributed all over the world. He mentions that the people who have died 

because of this virus are people that have a very low immune system. And that is why he recommends to boost your 

immune system, strengthen your defenses. When asked how do we do this, he told us three very important things, of

which you should take note right now. The first is eliminate the amount of dirt or toxins from the body. [image of 

Youngevity Liver Pure supplements.] This means to do a whole detoxification. The second: give the body the 

correct nutrition. Remember that each of our cells requires five principal ingredients to function in an optimal way. 

These five ingredients distributed [image of various Youngevity supplements] in ninety essential nutrients. The 

doctor and scientist Joel Wallach recommends to us the famous formula of “90 for life.” And the third and most 

important recommendation is that you to take action now.”
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Within 48 hours, please send reply via email to COVID-19-Task-Force@ftc.gov

describing the specific actions you have taken to address the FTC’s concerns. If you have any 

questions regarding compliance with the FTC Act, please contact us at COVID-19-TaskForce@ftc.gov.

Sincerely,

Federal Trade Commission Staff