Herbal supplements industry lashes out at fraud claims

Herbal and dietary supplements are seen for sale in a shop May 26, 2010, in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images

ALBANY, N.Y. - DNA barcoding has exposed some infamous cases of food fraud, like cheap catfish sold as pricey grouper and expensive "sheep's milk" cheese that was really made from cow's milk.

But can it tell if a pill touted as an energy-booster contains ginseng or is just a mix of rice powder and pine?

Some scientists say yes, while industry groups and some independent experts say DNA testing alone is inadequate for analyzing botanical products that have gone through a lot of processing from leaf to tablet.

About 65,000 dietary supplements are on the market, consumed by more than 150 million Americans, according to a 2013 Canadian government study. The American Botanical Council estimates U.S. sales of herbal supplements came to $6 billion that year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires companies to verify their products are safe and properly labeled, but supplements are exempt from the FDA's strict approval process for prescription drugs.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says lax oversight of supplements can have serious public health consequences, noting a 2013 hepatitis outbreak traced to a tainted diet supplement and the death of a baby at a Connecticut hospital after doctors gave the child a probiotic supplement later found to be contaminated with yeast.

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Several herbal supplements aren't what their labels claim them to be, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office test...

Last week, Schneiderman ordered Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, Target and GNC to stop selling store-brand herbal supplements that DNA tests found questionable.

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Herbal supplements industry lashes out at fraud claims