6 The Hampton Roads Messenger Health


Investigators: Herbal Supplements Filled with Fake Ingredients


Cease And Desist Letters Sent To GNC, Target, Walgreens And Walmart As Most Store Brand Supplements Were Found To Contain Contaminants Not Identified On Ingredient Labels; Just 21% Of Supplement Tests Iden- tified DNA From Plant Species Listed On Labels. Mislabeled Consumer Products Pose Unacceptable Health Hazards


Volume 9 Number 6


of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University. “I applaud the New York Attorney General for taking the additional step of seeking to remove these products from the marketplace as they can cause serious harm to consumers unaware of the actual ingredients in the pills and capsules they ingest. Hopefully, this action can prompt other


states to follow New


York’s example and lead to the reform of federal laws that, in their current form, are doing little to protect the public.”


Using DNA barcoding


technology to examine the contents of herbal supplements, the Attorney General’s investigation


on what appears to be the practice of substituting contaminants and fillers in the place of authentic product. The investigation looked at six different herbal supplements sold at the four major


retail companies in


regions across the state, including Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Harlem, Nassau County, Plattsburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Suffolk County, Syracuse, Utica, Watertown, and Westchester County.


The testing revealed that all


of the retailers were selling a large percentage of supplements for which modern DNA barcode


technology


could not detect the labeled botanical substance


While overall 21% of the product NEW YORK -- Attorney General


Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office sent letters to four major retailers, GNC, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens, for allegedly selling store brand herbal


supplement products


in New York that either could not be verified to contain the labeled substance, or which were found to contain ingredients not listed on the labels. The letters, sent Monday, call for the retailers to immediately stop the sale of certain popular products, including


John’s Wort,


Echinacea, and


companies others.


General Schneiderman the


provide


that their customers are getting what they pay for, especially when it involves promises of good health.”


“As the sponsor of a measure that would require labeling that states whether a product has been evaluated by the FDA or not, and legislation to establish a dietary supplements safety committee, I fully support the Attorney General's efforts


in


Ginseng, St. Attorney requested detailed


information relating to the production, processing and testing


of herbal


supplements sold at their stores, as well as set forth a thorough explanation of quality control measures in place.


The letters come as DNA


testing, performed as part of an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, allegedly shows that, overall, just 21% of the test results from store brand herbal supplements verified DNA from the plants listed on the products’ labels — with 79% coming up empty for DNA related to


the labeled contamination


content with


or other


verifying plant


material. The retailer with the poorest showing for DNA matching products listed on the label was Walmart. Only 4% of the Walmart products tested showed DNA from the plants listed on the products’ labels.


“This investigation makes one


thing abundantly clear: the old adage ‘buyer beware’ may be especially true for consumers of herbal supplements,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. "The DNA test results seem to confirm long-standing questions about the herbal supplement industry. Mislabeling, contamination, and false advertising are illegal.


They


also pose unacceptable risks to New York families—especially those with allergies to hidden ingredients. At the end of the day, American corporations must step up to the plate and ensure


this area,” said


New York State Senator Ken LaValle. “ I will continue to fight for legislation that will provide adequate labeling information for the public.”


“Since 2005, I have sponsored


legislation to create a dietary food supplements safety committee,” said New York State Assemblymember Felix Ortiz. “This bill was crafted for the very same reasons the Attorney General is now targeting


tests confirmed DNA barcodes from the plant species listed on the labels, 35% of the product tests identified DNA barcodes from plant species not listed on the labels, representing contaminants and fillers. A large number of the tests did not reveal any DNA from a botanical substance of any kind. Some of the contaminants identified include rice, beans, pine, citrus,


asparagus, primrose, wheat, is focused


February 2015


houseplant, wild carrot, and others. In many cases, unlisted contaminants were the only plant material found in the product samples.


The U.S. Food and Drug


Administration requires companies to verify that their products are safe and properly labeled for their contents, but unlike drugs, supplements do not undergo the agency's rigorous evaluation process, which scrutinizes everything about the drug—from the design of clinical trials to the severity of side effects to the conditions under which the drug is manufactured.


If the producers of herbal supplements fail to identify all


the thirteen


ingredients on a product’s label, a consumer with food allergies, or who is taking medication for an unrelated illness, is taking a potentially serious health risk every time a contaminated herbal supplement is ingested. The Attorney General's investigation


is


focused on potential violations of New York's General Business Law and Executive Law, including deceptive practices and deceptive advertising.


An expert in DNA barcoding


technology, Dr. James A. Schulte II of Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., was hired by the Attorney General’s office to perform the testing. DNA barcodes are short genetic markers in an organism’s DNA and are used to identify it as belonging to a particular species. Barcodes provide an unbiased, reproducible method of species identification. Barcodes can be used to determine the exact plant species being tested.


The DNA tests were performed on three to four samples of each of the six herbal supplements purchased from the New York stores. Each sample was tested with five distinct sequence runs, meaning each sample was tested five times. Three hundred and ninety tests


HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS PAGE 14


HRM Healthy Recipe Vegetable Stew


retailers


selling generic supplements that may or may not contain the substances contained on the labels. I support the Attorney General’s efforts and I will continue to push for the passage of my bill (A3548) to help reduce this kind of consumer fraud. We need adequate standards and better


enforcement


over these dietary supplements so consumers will feel confident knowing what they are buying.”


“The evidence for these herbs'


effectiveness is sketchy to begin with," said David Schardt, Senior Nutritionist of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "But when the advertised herbs aren't


even in many of the


products, it’s a sign that this loosely regulated industry is urgently in need of reform. Until then, and perhaps even after then, consumers should stop wasting their money. Attorney General Schneiderman has done what federal regulators should have done a long time ago.”


Attorney


“This study undertaken by General


office is a well-controlled, scientif- ically-based


documentation


Schneiderman’s of the


outrageous degree of adulteration in the herbal supplement industry,” said Arthur P. Grollman, M.D., Professor


This heart healthy vegetable stew does not use cured or smoked meats, which have high amounts of sodium. The mix of herbs and spices give this dish plenty of flavor and the amount of vegetables will help you to meet the daily recommended amount.


Ingredients


• 3 cups water • 1 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube • 2 cups white potatoes cut in 2-inch strips • 2 cups carrots, sliced • 2 ears fresh corn (1½ cups) • 4 cups summer squash, cut in 1-inch squares • 1 cup summer squash, cut in four chunks • 1 teaspoon thyme, ground • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 stalk scallion, chopped • ½ small hot red pepper, chopped • 1 cup onion, coarsely chopped • 1 cup tomatoes, diced


You can add other favorite vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or string beans.


Directions


1. Add water and bouillon in a large pot. Bring to a boil.


2. Add potatoes and carrots to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.


3. Cut the corn off the cob.


4. Add the remaining ingredients except for the tomatoes, and continue cooking for 15 minutes over medium heat.


5. Remove the four chunks of squash and puree in a blender.


6. Return pureed mixture to pot and let cook for 10 minutes more.


7. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.


8. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes to allow stew to thicken.


Nutrition Information Makes 8 servings


Serving size: 1¼ cups


Each serving provides: Calories: 100 Total Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 37 mg Total Fiber: 5 g Protein: 3 g Carbohydrates: 23 g Potassium: 607 mg


1


Make It a Meal


To make this dish a meal, serve it with a green leafy salad with romaine lettuce or spinach, cucumber, and other fresh vegetables. Use a light dressing, such as a vinaigrette, or a low-fat or fat-free dressing. Serve with whole-grain bread or rolls.


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