Tough Time For USANA

Now is a tough period for USANA due to accusation made by Barry Minkow. This is a sad thing to happen to great company that supplies great products.

Why is all this happening? Either one of these: People don't understand how MLM really works or there is a hidden agenda behind all this -- or probably both. Let's look at where USANA stands before Mr Minkow comes out with his accusation.

• USANA rated #1 Distributor’s Choice for eighth year running (Network Marketing Today/MLM Insider Magazine, 1997 – 2006).
• USANA’s ESSENTIALS™ nutritional dietary rated #1 nutritional supplement out of 500 products in North America (Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, 1st – 3rd editions).
• USANA ranked #1 Dietary Supplement (Best of State, 2006 Awards).
• USANA ranked #12 on Forbes’ 200 Best Small Companies list in 2006, and the only direct sales company to make the top 20 for each of the last three years (Forbes, Oct. 30, 2006; Oct. 31, 2005; Nov. 1, 2004).
• USANA makes into Business Week's 100 Hot Growth Companies list (2004 and 2005)
  
• USANA Founder Dr. Myron Wentz named Utah 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
• USANA is chosen as the official supplement supplier for numerous athletic organizations.
  
• USANA dietary supplements are listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference.
• USANA stock are traded at over USD60 price.
  

Even after the accusation is released to the public, USANA Founder Dr. Myron Wentz continues to receive acknowledgment for his scientific research. Very recently, Dr. Myron Wentz receives Albert Einstein Award in June 2007 [1].

Now, if Mr Minkow, who has been convicted and jailed for 8 years for fraud charges in 1988 [2], says USANA is bad, he has a tough challenge to go against all these highly credential parties that say USANA is the best. Plus, he has to proof there is a 'big conspiracy' going on here. Otherwise, he is just a criminal as he was and is risking himself going to jail again. Worth noted as well, USANA already filed lawsuit against Mr Minkow and Fraud Discovery Institute Inc, directed by Mr Minkow himself. Ironic...

Now, most of us made into USANA because of highly credible comments from third party reviews on USANA's product, not because USANA says, "Hey guys, our products are good. Eat it! (while we are watching USANA's hypnotic channels)". No! That's not how it works. I will tell you exactly how I got into a USANA's consumer and what really made me into it in my next posting. In case you still didn't get it, Fraud Discovery Institute is run by an ex-fraud-convicted-inmate, Mr Minkow himself.

And also BEWARE before you believe any accusation made by Barry Minkow. Mr Minkow has compared USANA's ESSENTIALS™ with some on shelves nutritional products that are readily available in pharmacies in his cause to 'proof' that USANA's ESSENTIALS™ is inferior. The nutritional product he tried to compare with USANA (Universal Nutrition) was found to contaminated with steroids. Search Google for Universal Nutrition contaminated Guillermo Coria to see elite athlete who tested positive after taking Universal Nutrition multi-vitamin and suing the company for millions. Also search Animal Pak contaminated Gonzalez.

Additionally, this is an attack to MLM industry, not merely to USANA company itself. USANA is a target because it is a #1 MLM company (this #1 position is not proposed by neither me nor USANA, it is from Network Marketing Today/MLM Insider Magazine, 1997 – 2006, a third party review). So, the MLM industry is supporting USANA against this attack. Check out the information at marketwaveinc website to see answers to Barry Minkow's accusation.

Here are several documents from MLM industry that debates Mr Minkow and his associates accusations:

1. Rebuttal to FDI Usana Report
   
2. Rebuttal to FDI Response (Round 2)
3. Rebuttal to FDI Response (Round 3)
4. Rebuttal to Robert Fitzpatrick's Usana Analysis
   
5. Rebuttal to Jon Taylor's Response

As for me, I will support USANA with all the goodness that it has provided to people and wish that USANA will prevail to continue its vision to help turning the people in the world into a healthiest state.

With that said, and since this matter is being brought to court, let's not forget what makes USANA a great company -- the Essentials and Dr Myron Wentz, the father who invented the Essentials. Let's us bring our focus back to the fundamentals -- being healthy.

References:
1. USANA Founder Dr. Myron Wentz Receives Albert Einstein Award: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "Dr. Myron Wentz, founder, chairman, and CEO of USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: USNA - News), was honored Monday at a special ceremony in Jerusalem with the Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences."
2. Vitamin Marketer Sued by Distributors: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "Minkow, who served eight years in prison for stock fraud and later started the Fraud Discovery Institute, came out with his first critical report on USANA in February when he bought 'put' options on USANA's stock in a bet the price would fall. USANA has sued him for defamation."