United Sciences of America

United Sciences of America, Inc. (also known as USA) was an American company that was accused of fraud and shut down in the late 1980s. USA manufactured nutritional supplements such as "Master Formula", "Calorie Control Formula", "Fiber Energy Bar", and "Formula Plus", distributing them via multi-level marketing (a.k.a. pyramid marketing). The company experienced rapid growth in the 1980s, was heavily endorsed and marketed by various celebrities, and was marketed via over 140,000 distributors. However, an exposé by NBC revealed fraudulent practices, and this was followed by multiple lawsuits from attorneys general in three different states. Several of the company's advisors resigned, and USA declared bankruptcy in 1987.