Two out of three supplements and herbal medicines available to Australian consumers tested as part of a major research project are not exactly what they say they are, and many are contaminated with animal parts, undeclared drugs, or dangerous levels of heavy metals.

Traces of animals including reindeer, frog, bats, mice, goats, dogs and the endangered snow leopard were discovered in supplements and herbal products examined by a team of researchers from the University of Adelaide and Western Australia's Murdoch University and Curtin University using cutting-edge DNA sequencing.

Traces of shrew, reindeer, goat and dog have been found in herbal supplements. Credit:Stephen Kiprillis

Across three separate studies, researchers tested 220 products bought from Australian pharmacies, health food stores, herb shops and online retailers. The studies do not reveal the brands of the products, nor identify where they were purchased.

More than two thirds of the products tested either had ingredients missing or contained foreign material.