Goop is being accused of marketing and selling a potentially dangerous supplement product called The Mother Load to pregnant women.
The brand’s vitamin supplement packets contain a high amount of vitamin A and are marketed towards pregnant women and women who want to be pregnant. Unfortunately, too much vitamin A during pregnancy can cause birth defects, according to Babycenter.com.
Additionally, the Sunday Times reported that Goop had been “reported to British regulators over 113 alleged breaches of U.K. advertising law.”
A spokesperson for the brand defended the product in a statement to Us Weekly: “When used as recommended, Goop’s The Mother Load supplements are safe during pregnancy. The Mother Load contains a very moderate 450 mcg (1500 IU) of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A as retinyl palmitate), which is less than the recommended daily intake of 600 mcg per day (per NHS).”
“The 4000 IU beta-carotene included in Mother Load is only converted in the body to vitamin A as needed, and there is no safety concern for eating this, as there would be no safety concern for eating a large number of carrots containing beta-carotene,” the spokesperson continued. “The Mother Load package contains a warning that pregnant women should not consume more than 10,000 IU vitamin A daily due to risk of birth defects.”
This is far from the first time Goop has been accused of selling unproven products. The company was fined in California last month for making unproven health claims.
