In February 2015, the New York State Attorney General’s office sent letters to four major retailers demanding that they immediately remove certain herbal supplements from their shelves following an investigation that found a number of these products did not contain the herbs advertised on their labels.
Specifically, the investigation found the following store-brand supplements either didn’t contain the advertised herbs or contained the herbs in very small amounts:
GNC’s “Herbal Plus” Brand
- Ginkgo Biloba
- St. John’s Wort
- Ginseng
- Echinacea
- Saw Palmetto
Target’s “Up & Up” Brand
- Ginkgo Biloba
- St. John’s Wort
- Valerian Root
Walgreens’ “Finest Nutrition” Brand
- Ginkgo Biloba
- St. John’s Wort
- Ginseng
- Garlic
- Echinacea
Walmart’s “Spring Valley” Brand
- Ginkgo Biloba
- St. John’s Wort
- Ginseng
- Garlic
- Echinacea
- Saw Palmetto
In testing performed on Target’s supplements, for instance, the store’s brand-name Valerian Root supplement tested negative for the herb, but was found to have DNA from powdered rice, beans, wild carrots, and peas. Additionally, testing performed on Walmart’s brand-name supplements found that just four percent of the tests yielded DNA matching the product label.
Furthermore, some herbal supplements even contained undisclosed ingredients that could cause serious allergic reactions in consumers. For example, some of GNC’s supplements contained powdered legumes, which often include allergens such as peanuts and soybeans. Additionally, Walmart’s store brand Ginkgo Biloba contained wheat, despite reportedly being advertised as wheat- and gluten-free.
If you’ve purchased one of these supplements and feel you were scammed, the lawyers at Morgan & Morgan want to hear from you. Contact us today and tell our consumer protection attorneys about the products you purchased. You may be able to get your money back in light of reports that these supplements are not what they claim to be.