Do you use store-brand supplements? You might not be getting what you think … and it could be dangerous
In 2015, the office of the Attorney General of New York sent cease-and-desist letters to four major retailers — Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and GNC — regarding the sale of fraudulent herbal supplements. Here’s what happened:
State authorities performed rigorous testing on store-brand supplements available at those retailers, and found that 80 percent of the products failed to contain any of the ingredients listed on the label. Instead, they contained filler ingredients like powdered rice, asparagus, and houseplants.
Here were some of the actual findings:
- Walgreens was selling “ginseng pills” meant to boost energy and endurance; they only contained rice and garlic powder.
- Walmart was selling a “ginkgo biloba” supplement, which is typically advertised as a memory enhancer; it only contained powdered houseplants, radish, and wheat (also contradicting the “gluten-free” claim on the label).
- Target was selling valerian root and St. John’s Wort supplements that only contained rice, bean, pea, and wild carrot powder.
- GNC was selling supplement pills filled with powdered legumes — with no warning for consumers with peanut or soy allergies.
The price of profit
Obviously these practices are not just deceptive but dangerous, as substances such as wheat and legumes could trigger fatal allergic reactions in those unaware of the true ingredients. Similarly, in 2013 an outbreak of hepatitis affected over 70 people across 16 states, and was ultimately traced back to a tainted supplement. More recently, Belgian and Italian officials issued a warning over the same thing — that contaminated supplements were causing an outbreak of hepatitis.
The retailers involved in the 2015 case all issued public statements and promised big changes in terms of the way their products would be sourced, verified, and sold from then on. The reality, however, is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still does not provide oversight or regulation in the manufacture and sale of dietary supplements. In February of this year, the FDA promised to overhaul the way it handles supplements, but for the time being nothing significant has been done to ensure the safety of people who take them.
Until that happens, the responsibility falls on consumers to verify what exactly they’re putting in their bodies. Finding trustworthy manufacturers and retailers may not be easy (at least initially), but it can be done. And for those who want to actually receive the benefits of their supplements — and stay safe in the process — it’s an absolute necessity.
