New York's attorney general said testing on popular store-brand herbal supplements reveals most are potentially dangerous with "unrecognizable" ingredients. He ordered several major retailers in New York to pull them from the shelves. Photo by Tropper2000/Shutterstock

NEW YORK, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- New York's attorney general said testing on popular store-brand herbal supplements reveals most contain "unrecognizable" ingredients, products other than what's on the label and additives that are potentially dangerous.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said investigators used DNA testing to find that four out of five supplements sold at major retailers did not contain products listed on the label. Often, they just contain fillers like powdered rice or houseplants.


Schneiderman sent cease and desist letters to Target, Walmart, Walgreens and GNC demanding that they immediately stop selling popular products, including echinacea, ginseng and St. John's Wort. He also wants the manufacturers to explain the procedures used to verify the ingredients.

"If the producers of herbal supplements fail to identify all the 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 office said in a written statement.

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As part of the investigation, the attorney general's office purchased nearly 80 bottles of supplements from 12 Target, Walmart, Walgrens and GNC stores across New York State. The products were analyzed using DNA bar coding technology. Each was tested five times.

For years, critics have condemned the easy availability of potentially dangerous supplements. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires companies to verify the supplements are safe, it relies on the honor system.

While Schneiderman's restrictions only pertain to stores in New York State, Walgreens said it will remove products nationwide. Walmart said it would "take appropriate action," and GNC said it would comply but stood behind its products. Target did not comment.

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