ALBANY, N.Y. — Fourteen attorneys general asked Congress to launch an investigation of the herbal supplements industry and to consider giving the Food and Drug Administration stronger oversight of the industry, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced.
“When consumers take an herbal supplement, they should be able to do so with full knowledge of what is in that product and confidence that every precaution was taken to ensure its authenticity and purity,” Schneider man said Thursday.
Schneiderman alleged in February that DNA tests on certain store-brand supplements found none of the herbs on the labels. Industry groups and some consumer advocates have criticized Schneiderman’s test method, saying DNA testing is unable to identify highly processed plant material.
GNC, one of the retailers targeted by Schneider man, said last week that it has provided him test results from independent labs showing its products were safe and properly labeled. It has agreed to add DNA testing to its quality-control procedures.
Daniel Fabricant, former director of the FDA’s dietary supplement division and now executive director of the Natural Products Association trade group, called the action of the attorneys general “harassment based on science fiction.”
There is no regulation that requires a firm to disclose to the FDA or consumers the information it has about the safety or purported benefits of dietary supplements, according to agency’s website. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the ingredient list is accurate. The FDA can take action against supplements only after they are proved to be unsafe.
