Groups question scientific validity of DNA tests used

Two states and Puerto Rico have joined New York State in a probe looking into what ingredients are in herbal supplements, and associations that represent the industry are stepping up their efforts as well.

Earlier this year, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced his office had conducted DNA tests on several store-brand supplements and discovered many did not contain the ingredients listed on the labels. The supplements were subsequently yanked from shelves.

Schneiderman has since expended his investigation to include supplement manufacturers. Then on Tuesday, he announced a new coalition of attorneys general from Connecticut, Indiana and Puerto Rico would investigate the business practices of the supplement industry.

"Clearly, the questions we raised about the herbal supplements sold in New York resonate outside of our borders," Schneiderman said in a statement. "By joining together, and building on the long track record of state attorneys general upholding the rights of consumers, we can go further in investigating this industry and, as needed, in achieving reform." http://on.ny.gov/1Bz8AZ3

Supplement industry associations have shot back at the attorney general's investigation mostly by questioning the scientific validity of the tests his office used to make its conclusions. Natural Products Association CEO Daniel Fabricant called the new coalition "purely a political attack."

"He's using the dietary supplement industry to bring more media attention to him, as well as the other attorneys general who have signed onto this group," he said. http://bit.ly/1Mu24Wn

A day after the coalition was announced, four associations—American Herbal Products Association, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, Council for Responsible Nutrition and United Natural Products Alliance—released a white paper detailing what they said were the scientific problems with the DNA tests the attorney general used.

"As the attorney general's office has not released the full methodology, the testing procedures or the analytics of the tests, it is impossible to place any confidence in the publicized results," said Danica Harbaugh Reynaud, lead author of the paper and CEO of AuthenTechnologies, a DNA testing laboratory.http://bit.ly/18ANsXT