In another controversy over its drug policies, the National Football League has been sued for banning football players from using many nutritional supplements.

The NFL has banned players from using ephedrine and other dietary stimulants. The policy has caused controversy because players face harsher penalties for using dietary aids like ephedrine than for using illegal drugs like cocaine.

But Formulated Sciences, Inc., a nutritional supplement company, claims in a lawsuit that the NFL wrongfully banned its products Democaine and Duzoxin. FS President Paul Edalat said the NFL black-listed his products based upon a mistaken belief that they contain ephedrine or some other banned substance.

“The NFL dropped the ball big-time,” he said. “The NFL has banned a host of substances, but my products do not contain any of those substances.”

FS is one of many companies that carry the offending substances, according to the National Football League Players Association. The NFLPA has published the list of banned substances and companies on its website at www.nflpa.org.

Banned companies include General Nutrition Center (GNC), Metabolife, Met-RX, TwinLab and about four dozen other businesses. Edalat said the list is a Who’s-Who of nutritional supplement companies in the United States.

“The NFL has virtually black-listed an entire industry,” he said.

Formulated Sciences, Inc., a nutritional supplement company, sued the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association for libeling and boycotting its products.

In the federal lawsuit, FS contends that the NFL violated state and federal laws against monopolistic and unfair trade practices. The complaint seeks monetary damages including treble damages for unfair competition and trade libel.

FS files complaint in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Dec. 30, 2003

FS asks court for preliminary injunction from federal court.

The NFL contends that it has not violated any state or federal laws, and maintains that it has properly banned many nutritional substances from use or endorsement by its players.

The NFLPA, the National Football League Players Association, contends that the ban is unfair to players because they face stiff fines and penalties for using or endorsing the banned substances.