Fake Supplements - U.S. authorities have accused four major retailers of selling herbal supplements that did not contain the DNA of the plants advertised on their labels. Instead they contained cheap fillers- powered vegetables, and other wild plants that could be harmful to customers.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Monday issued a cease-and-desist letters to GNC, Walgreens, Target and Wal-Mart after an investigation into store-brand supplements discovered that few of the products on their shelves contained the herbs on their labels.
Instead they were filled with radish, mustard and other substances that may trigger allergic reactions in unsuspecting customers.
"Mislabeling, contamination and false advertising are illegal," Schneiderman said. "They also pose unacceptable risks to New York Families-- especially those with allergies to hidden ingredients."
Authorities have also asked the four retailers to outline the procedures they use to assert the ingredients of the herbal supplements on their shelves.
The fake herbal supplements were tested with a process called DNA barcoding; a system that identifies the specific ingredients through a form of 'genetic fingerprinting.'
According to reports, investigators tested 24 products, which claimed to contained seven different herbs including- garlic, gingko biloba, echinacea, saw palmetto, ginseng , valerian root and St. John's wort.
However, tests revealed that 19 of these products contained DNA that was either unrecognizable or from plants that were not listed as the ingredients of the products.
Reports indicate that of all four offending retailers, Wal-Mart was the worst of the lot; only 4 percent of their products tested showed DNA from the herbs listed on their labels.
Harvard Medical School assistant professor Pieter Cohen, a supplement safety expert, told the New York Times that the results of the investigation were very alarming. He questioned if the manufacturing process wasn't to blame for destroying some of the ingredients.
However, he said, "if the data is accurate, then it is an unbelievable devastating indictment of the industry."
Reports indicate that the offending retailers have said they would take the appropriate steps to rid their stores of these fake supplements.
"Both Wal-Mart and GNC authorities have said their respective companies would respond 'appropriately." And Walgreens have said they would remove all fake products from their shelves.
Target has not yet released a statement.
"This investigation makes one thing clear: The old adage 'buyer beware' may be especially true for customers of herbal supplements," Schneiderman said.
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