GNC Holdings Inc. said Monday that it has reached a deal with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over its Herbal Plus products.
In February, the AG's office ordered GNC, Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart to stop selling certain store brand supplements after testing showed the supplements either didn't contain the ingredient advertised or were contaminated. Just 21 percent of the products Schneiderman ordered tested showed DNA evidence that they contained the product listed on the label. "79 per cent of the products we tested had no trace of the DNA. They did have traces of DNA for other things, like rice and house plants."
Now, the AG is praising GNC for a "groundbreaking" agreement: "Perhaps the most significant reform involves the use of DNA barcoding, the same scientific method we used in our investigation, to authenticate the active ingredients used in GNC's herbal supplements. In cases where there is no genetic barcode available - the most popular herbal supplements have DNA barcodes already available for scientists to use - there are some products that do not have the barcodes yet. GNC has agreed to work to identify and create barcodes for those plants so that the DNA barcoding and authentication can take place. GNC will then contribute those barcodes and the methodology used to identify them into a publicly accessible database."
GNC will also require suppliers to get certified by a third-party accreditation body to ensure ingredients are U.S. Food and Drug Administration compliant.
Brian McGowan with the Kaaterskill Farm Natural Storehouse in Hudson has some suggestions for consumers to help identify quality products "You want brand names that have large facilities that process their own vitamins. In other words, when you turn the back of the bottle around you wanna see 'manufactured BY' not 'manufactured FOR' or 'distributed by'- those are just labels. They can be made out of the country, they're 3rd party products. So you wanna see 'manufactured BY'."
Another tip: look for certain seals on the label when you're shopping for health products. "I always like to see a Kosher seal, for example, on certain supplements. Because now we have another inspection process. I like to see a GMP seal, which a lot of vitamin companies will have, which is 3rd party verification of the product. So it's not just their word, but it's also the word of a 3rd party certifying agency."
Schneiderman is still investigating Walgreens, Wal-mart and Target. "American consumers deserve to get what they pay for, especially when it comes with promises for better health."
GNC said Monday follow-up tests proved that the company’s products were safe and properly labeled, contained all the herbal extracts advertised, and were in full compliance with FDA requirements.
