Amidst Herbal Supplement Controversy: Firm Agrees To DNA Testing

Amidst the controversies about herbal supplements, a large firm has agreed to conduct a test on its products to make sure they provide what the consumers expect. Herbal supplements have been among the topics of discussions when it comes to health. This is especially true these days when some brands have been controversial.

NBTY, maker of popular supplements, has agreed to do an advanced genetic testing on its products with the aim of ensuring that they contain the ingredients indicated in the label. Among the affected products are Sundown Naturals and Nature's Bounty, and Solgar. NBTY makes ginseng and gingko biloba products.

According to The New York Times, the agreement follows an investigation done last year, in which experts found that four out five products tested did not contain the herbs indicated on the labels. Instead, they contained cheap fillers like asparagus, powdered rice, houseplants, and soy and nuts in some cases. The last mentioned could cause danger to people who have food allergies.

Moreover, this is the third agreement with a supplement maker that the office of the state attorney general negotiated. Such agreement aims to put pressure on the herbal supplement industry in order to adopt strict measures on quality control. Questions about the alleged widespread labelling fraud has prompted the attorney general's investigation.

Caryle Group owns NBTY. The company has 22,000 products that include, herbal products, meal replacements, vitamins, fish oil, protein bars, and nutritional supplements.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported about herbal supplement Kratom being banned by the federal government. The ban deems the product as dangerous as heroin despite the fact that some believe it has saved their lives.

As people are becoming mindful of their health, numerous products have come out in the market. However, the aforementioned controversies are a clear indication that consumers should be careful when choosing a health product to use.