Due to strict regulations by the FDA on prescription medications, all manufacturers and retailers are required to label all ingredients present in supplements correctly. However, the FDA has found that most of the herbal supplements at GNC, Walmart, Walgreens, and Target don’t contain what they claim.
The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs contain cheap fillers like powdered rice, wheat, soy powder and even houseplants, and most of them didn’t have any of the ingredients mentioned on the label. For example, at GNC, the FDA found pills with the unlisted ingredients used as fillers, like powdered legumes, which can be hazardous for people with peanut and soybean allergies. At Walmart, Ginkgo biloba contained fillers like powdered radish, houseplants, and wheat, even though the label said the product was wheat and gluten-free.
The New York State Attorney General’s office accused all these retailers of selling fake and potentially dangerous herbal supplements. They also asked them to give details of the procedures they use to verify the ingredients in their supplements and demanded that they remove these products from their shelves.
