Supplement

Acacia rigidula: Is it legal?

Acacia plant

Acacia rigidula (also known as “blackbrush acacia”) is an ingredient used in dietary supplement products for performance and bodybuilding. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that it is a “new dietary ingredient” and not currently acceptable for use in dietary supplement products.

As a result, products that contain Acacia rigidula are considered “adulterated” and cannot be marketed legally. In 2016 FDA sent warning letters to 6 companies marketing supplements that listed Acacia rigidula on the label. For more information, you can visit FDA’s “Acacia rigidula in Dietary Supplements.” As a result, Acacia rigidula is on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients list.

In the past, some dietary supplement products that list Acacia rigidula as an ingredient also have been found to contain the illegal ingredient BMPEA. No analyses of the plant have shown BMPEA to be present naturally. For more information, please read the OPSS article about BMPEA. Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know if BMPEA is present in a dietary supplement with Acacia rigidula on the label.

Updated 07 March 2022