News 4-Fox 11 in Reno, Nevada, is reporting its investigation that found counterfeit Zyn products for sale at a local convenience store that looked identical to the legitimate brand. Last October, an employee of the station bought three cans of “Zyn,” which he said tasted different than usual. The cans were sent to McKinney Specialty Labs in Virginia for testing.
“They really are misbranded and illegally on the market,” Dr. Roxana Weil, chief regulatory science officer at McKinney, said. The tested product only contained 4.5mg of nicotine, contrary to the 6mg advertised, and additionally contained six methyl nicotine, an additive that should not have been in there. The lab only tested for nicotine, so it’s unclear what else could be in the counterfeit product.
Dr. Willie McKinney, CEO of McKinney, said, “It was a little bit of a surprise to see six methyl nicotine simply because it’s manufactured. It’s man-made.”
Representatives from Philip Morris International, the makers of Zyn, and the store owner believe the counterfeit products likely came from a distributor.
“Our findings are that these are produced from overseas,” said Brian Weinhaus, director for illicit trade at PMI. “They are not produced in the United States.”
