Food Standards Agency
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Man arrested in DNP operation

A man has recently been arrested on suspicion of supplying the industrial chemical known as DNP as a slimming aid following an operation by the Food Standards Agency, the Metropolitan Police, and Ealing and Harrow local authorities.

The man from West London is suspected of supplying this highly toxic chemical which has been misused as a fat burning supplement and has been the cause of a number of recent deaths.

Last week, Ealing and Harrow Borough Councils, accompanied by the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) have conducted searches on two properties in Ealing and Harrow alongside the Metropolitan Police.

A significant amount of a substance believed to be DNP was found at the premises.

The NFCU launched an operation in April 2015 following the death of 21-year old Eloise Parry after she had bought DNP online. As a result, several websites were identified by the NFCU as selling DNP as a slimming aid and were subsequently closed down.

Andy Morling, Head of Food Crime at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘It is illegal to sell DNP for human consumption as it is a dangerous industrial chemical. Last year, DNP was responsible for five deaths. I would like to thank all those involved in this operation that aimed to tackle the online sale of DNP. It is our close working partnership with local authorities, law enforcement agencies and internet companies in the UK and abroad that has enabled us to close these websites and work to disrupt possible supply chains.

‘The FSA and its partners would like to use this as an opportunity to once again highlight the dangers of DNP. It is an industrial chemical and is not made to be consumed as a diet supplement. Please do not be persuaded by the claims being made, those selling DNP do not care about your wellbeing.’

DNP has legitimate uses in areas such as biochemical research and in manufacturing chemicals. For this reason, DNP is not illegal for sale but it is illegal where sold for human consumption.

Help us prevent another DNP death

The highly toxic ‘fat burning’ substance known as DNP continues to be sold in capsules and powders, and it continues to be consumed. This can and does kill. That’s why we are urgently warning the public not to take any tablets, capsules, powders or liquids containing this deadly ingredient. DNP is an industrial chemical that is not fit for human consumption.

Channel website: https://www.food.gov.uk/

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