ARTICLE

A Singapore court has convicted dietary supplement company Riway for marketing its Purtier product with false health claims, slapping the firm with a $3,000 fine after years of warnings went ignored.

The Health Sciences Authority, Singapore's health regulator, took Riway to court over marketing materials that promised Purtier could cure cancer, diabetes, and tumors. The company lost on July 15, 2021, and was convicted under the Medicines Act.

This wasn't Riway's first brush with regulators. The HSA began scrutinizing the company in 2016, issuing multiple warnings about misleading claims. But Riway kept pushing the same pitch. By 2019, investigators found fresh evidence the company was still marketing Purtier as a cancer cure, prompting a deeper investigation.

The HSA uncovered three marketing materials—two designed for Riway's network of distributors and one for customers—all making illegal disease claims. The materials touted Purtier's ability to "cure patients with diabetes," deliver "anti-tumour" effects, and produce "anti-cancer effects."

Here's the problem: there's no scientific evidence for any of it. The HSA reviewed published clinical studies and found nothing proving Purtier can cure or improve cancer, prevent or treat diabetes, or address diabetes complications like poor wound healing. Nothing.

Riway's marketing strategy hinged on one key claim: the supplement contains stem cells. The company argued these cells could help alleviate diseases. The HSA dismantled this argument entirely.

Purtier comes as a capsule you swallow. That's the first issue. Stem cells require storage at minus 196 degrees centigrade to stay alive. A capsule in a bottle at room temperature doesn't meet that standard. Second, even if the stem cells somehow survived to your stomach, the enzymes in your digestive tract would destroy them. Stem cells are proteins, and protein breaks down in your gut.

In short: Riway's main selling point is scientifically impossible.

The $3,000 fine represents a pittance for a company built on marketing health products. Whether the penalty will deter Riway from future violations remains unclear, but the HSA signaled it's prepared to pursue tougher penalties if the company continues.

The regulator issued a fresh warning to consumers. Don't buy supplements making exaggerated cure-all claims. Don't trust testimonials from people claiming they were "cured" after taking a product—personal stories aren't proof of effectiveness. And never substitute a supplement for prescribed medication. Doing so risks delaying proper treatment and worsening your condition.

The message is straightforward: talk to your doctor before taking any supplement marketed as a medical treatment.

🤖 Quick Answer

What was Riway convicted of in Singapore?

Why did the investigation against Riway intensify?
The Health Sciences Authority began scrutinizing Riway in 2016, issuing multiple warnings about misleading marketing claims. Despite these warnings, the company continued making unauthorized health assertions. In 2019, investigators discovered fresh evidence that Riway was still illegally marketing Purtier as a cancer cure, triggering a more comprehensive investigation.

🔗 Related Articles

- Purium Review: 100% non-GMO weight loss, fitness & nutrition
- Bajpai Arrest: Speak Asia CEO Manoj Kumar responds
- IDLife Review 2.0: Josh Paine leads WorldVentures refugees
- BlackOxygen Organics: Fulvic acid from a Canadian bog
- Trivaren Review: Knights pushing cancer cures?