Q. Testing done on supplements from Target, Walgreens, Walmart and GNC revealed that they were bogus. Is there any way a consumer can determine what is in these things?
A. The investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office revealed that some popular herbal products appeared to lack ingredients listed on the label. A spokesman for the office said,
“In a good number of cases, there was no organic material in the product. In some cases, it was sand.”
Is the FDA Up to the Task?
If the analysis holds up, it would be an indictment of the FDA’s ability to regulate herbal products. Unlike most other developed countries where health authorities oversee dietary supplements and herbs, in the U.S. there is little monitoring for quality.
Was the Test the Right One?
There is controversy surrounding the type of DNA testing that was carried out on the herbal extracts. Some experts doubt that the analysis used was appropriate for the material being analyzed. Extracts may not contain intact DNA, which would affect the validity of the findings. We have written about these doubts, if you would like to read more.
It is very hard for consumers to evaluate the quality of the supplements they buy. Consumers Union occasionally tests such products, as does the independent ConsumerLab.com.
The New York Times writer Anahad O’Connor has also described the USP and NSF programs.
