GNC to Test Its Dietary Supplements More Rigorously
GNC to Test Its Dietary Supplements More Rigorously – The New York State attorney general’s office accused GNC, Target, Walmart, and Walgreens of selling fraudulent supplements.
According to the attorney generals office, the supplements often lack the ingredients it claims to have and even contains potentially harmful contaminants that are often unlisted. GNC responded with a statement that was tightening it’s testing and quality control processes, and said they would exceed the quality control that federal law requires.
The dietary supplement industry is worth $33 billion a year, but is not stringently regulated. Many of the herbal supplement products have been accused of adulteration and mislabeling.
GNC has over 6,500 stores around the country, and company says it wants to restore customers’ faith in their products, and wants to set new quality control standards for the dietary supplement industry. The company plans to use DNA testing to verify the plants used in its herbal supplements and to also test them for allergens like soy, wheat, and tree nuts. On its website and in stores, GNC would also post information on how the ingredients were processed and declare any chemical solvents that were used.
According to Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who studies adulterated supplements, said,”“This is the absolute minimum that should be happening.”
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