In February, a New York examination of herbal supplements being sold at GNC Holdings Inc, Target Corp, Walgreens, and Walmart Stores Inc, showed that a majority of the products failed to pass DNA tests that sought to detect plant materials listed on the labels. Prompted by the safety concerns raised by the New York probe, a group of 14 state attorneys general asked the U.S. Congress to launch an investigation on the herbal supplements industry and to consider giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more oversight of herbal supplements. In their letter to the chairmen of subcommittees on product safety and health last Thursday, the attorneys general also cited researchers who have found other questionable ingredients, including high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in certain supplements.
Although the FDA does regulate dietary supplements, the supplements are currently under a different set of rules than those covering drug products. The attorneys general believe more government regulation of the dietary supplement industry may be needed. They called for the subcommittees to work with the FDA to examine whether enhanced quality assurance programs and other safety requirements need to be developed for these supplements to better ensure the safety of the general public.
For more information about the dangers of dietary supplements, check out Ben Kertman’s PEACH lab blog post.
To learn more about what states can do to protect their youth from harmful dietary supplements, check out the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders’ (STRIPED) legislative fact sheet.
REFERENCE:
Freifeld, K. (2015, April 6). States ask U.S. Congress to launch inquiry of herbal supplements. Reuters. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/06/us-health-states-supplements-idUSKBN0MX17Y20150406
