New York A.G. Halts Sales at GNC, Target, and Walgreens

Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, sent out Cease and Desist Letters to four major retailers, GNC, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens, claiming store brand herbal supplement products did not contain the labeled substance, or contained ingredients not listed on the labels. The letters, sent last week, demanded the retailers immediately stop the sale of Echinacea, Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and other herbal supplements. The letter further demanded that he be provided detailed information relating to the production, processing and testing of the herbal supplements sold at their respective stores and a thorough description of quality control measures the stores had in place. The letters were the result of DNA testing on the products which were performed as part of an ongoing investigation by the A.G.’s Office. The results showed that 79% of the store brand products did not have the active agent or were mislabeled and contained other plant material not placed on the label. Only 4% of the Walmart products tested showed DNA from the plants listed on the labels.