Group says Herbalife products have too much lead

By Martinne Geller

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Six dietary supplements sold by Herbalife Ltd contain dangerous amounts of lead if taken according to package directions, according to information posted on a private group's website on Monday.

Herbalife disputed the claim, saying its products met with regulatory requirements in all of its markets.

"The FDA hasn't established a general limit on lead in foods, but we are certainly well within their suggested guidelines," Herbalife spokesman George Fischer said in a telephone interview, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sets dietary guidelines.

The Fraud Discovery Institute posted a letter on its website on Monday attributed to Christopher Grell, an attorney in Oakland, California, specializing in product liability.

The letter said that recommended daily doses of six Herbalife products contained levels of lead that are dangerous and in excess of what California law allows under its Safe Drinking and Toxic Environment Act of 1994.

The law requires businesses to warn consumers if their products contain chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. An explanation of the law can be found on the website of California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment here

Barry Minkow, founder of the Fraud Discovery Institute, was not immediately available to comment.

A San Diego pastor who served more than seven years in jail for stock fraud, Minkow now works to uncover frauds. He has a history of criticizing Los Angeles-based Herbalife, which sells weight-loss and nutritional products through direct sales.