His time in China between the end of 1915 and 1927 exposed him to experiences which led him to realize the impact vitamins and nutrients have on general health.
[1] The founders of Amway, Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos, began as independent distributors selling Nutrilite products in 1949, at a time when the product's previous distributors (Mytinger and Casselberry, Inc.) were involved in a dispute with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which accused them of false advertising.
Concerned about the FDA dispute, they launched a new company, the American Way, (later known as Amway), to use the multi-level marketing system for other household products.
[citation needed] Nutrilite's vitamin and mineral products are distributed through a multilevel marketing structure by Amway affiliates known as Independent Business Owners (IBO) in North America and 108 other countries and territories.
[citation needed] In 1948, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seized shipments of Nutrilite, then distributed by a California firm, Mytinger & Casselberry Inc.