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HerbalGram Features In-Depth Coverage of New York Attorney General's Herbal Supplement Investigation
(AUSTIN, Texas, June 8, 2015) The American Botanical
Council’s current issue (#106) of HerbalGram, the nonprofit
organization’s quarterly, peer-reviewed journal, includes a 12-page feature
article on “The Supplement Saga: A Review of the New York Attorney General’s
Herbal Supplement Investigation.”
The
New York Attorney General’s (NY AG’s) crusade against herbal supplements, which
began unexpectedly on February 3, 2015, has been a source of much interest,
confusion, and concern for the dietary supplements industry and herbal
community. The article, by
HerbalGram
Editor Tyler Smith, details the NY AG’s actions and herbal community’s
reactions from early February to mid-May, when the magazine went to press. The
approximately 9,500-word feature contains 71 references and is currently
available on ABC’s website.
Over a period of roughly four months, NY AG Eric T. Schneiderman took multiple
significant and unprecedented actions against herbal products, companies, and
manufacturers. In February, he ordered GNC, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target to
stop sales of certain store-brand herbal supplements; in March, Schneiderman
announced a “landmark” deal with GNC, in which the company agreed to employ DNA
barcoding analysis of all herbal raw materials used to produce ingredients for
its herbal supplements; and, in April, his coalition of state attorneys general
asked Congress to launch an inquiry into the supplements industry.
Each of these developments stemmed from the results of the NY AG’s commissioned
DNA barcode testing of 78 herbal supplements from the four retailers, which
indicated a lack of the labeled herbs’ DNA, or the presence of unlisted
ingredients, in about 80% of the products. The NY AG’s reliance on DNA
barcoding as the sole testing method has generated widespread criticism from a
spectrum of industry experts, botanical scientific experts, and even herb
industry critics.
The current issue of HerbalGram also features a summary of two DNA barcoding-related white
papers
issued by a coalition of industry trade groups and leaders of the Natural Products
Association, respectively, by American Botanical Council (ABC) Chief Science
Officer Stefan Gafner, PhD, and an editorial on the misuse of DNA methods by
the NY AG written by ABC Founder and Executive Director, Mark Blumenthal, available here.
“The HerbalGram article is probably the most extensive
publication thus far that summarizes and documents much of the details of this
still-fluid issue,” said Blumenthal. “We believe it is necessary to provide
detailed documentation of this event not only for the historical record but
also to provide interested stakeholders in the herbal community and many others
with a comprehensively detailed, ‘go-to’ article that provides a responsible
overview of the recent events and issues.”
Although members of the natural products industry initially focused on the
shortcomings of DNA-based analyses for botanical extracts — which still remains
a scientifically sound argument — the community’s message evolved to focus on
education, transparency, and authenticity as Schneiderman widened the scope of
his investigation — and signs of compromise have emerged from both sides.
However, in early June, as HerbalGram #106 reached members’
mailboxes and hit retail shelves, Schneiderman once again asked Congress to
“overhaul” the dietary supplements industry. As potential new developments
continue to unfold, ABC encourages interested parties to read the HerbalGram
feature to familiarize themselves with the background and scope of the
investigation.
A text-only version of the article is available to the public on ABC’s website
at http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/issue106/hg106-FEAT-NYAG.html.
ABC members have access to a full-color PDF version at http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/index.html.
HerbalGram
is a benefit of ABC membership at all membership levels. More information on
ABC membership is available here. |
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