CEO DATELINE - Natural Products Association makes peace with herbal supplement investigation
CEO DATELINE - Natural Products Association makes peace with herbal supplement investigation
- May 12, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
Group acknowledges DNA barcode tests might have some merit
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One of the major trade groups representing the dietary supplement industry has called a truce with the New York State Attorney General's Office, which earlier this year told four retail chains to pull their store-brand herbal supplements after DNA tests concluded they did not contain the ingredients listed on their labels.
The Natural Products Association had been among the leading critics of the DNA barcode tests used by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in his recent campaign against alleged consumer fraud by supplement manufacturers.
The attorney general sent letters to GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreens in February after tests commissioned by his office found only 21 percent of supplements tested had the herbs listed in their labels. In the case of Walmart, only 4 percent had the listed ingredients.
"The DNA test results seem to confirm long-standing questions about the herbal supplement industry," Schneiderman said at the time. "Mislabeling, contamination, and false advertising are illegal. They also pose unacceptable risks to New York families—especially those with allergies to hidden ingredients." http://on.ny.gov/1BSm53a
NPA strongly disagreed. At one point the association released a white paper in which its CEO Daniel Fabricant—who has a Ph.D in pharmacognosy—called the test results "fatally flawed."
But on Monday Fabricant released a joint statement with Schneiderman in which the association acknowledged that DNA barcoding could be part of a "multi-faceted approach to assuring authenticity and identifying substitution" of supplement ingredients.
"Together, we look forward to jointly working with major manufacturers and retailers of herbal supplements to promote a model for product safety, authenticity, and transparency in this industry," the two men said.
They added that they viewed their dialogue "as a positive step in resolving our differences and we are hopeful that we can work in collaboration to enhance confidence and safe access for consumers." http://bit.ly/1QESDav
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