NPA calls on NY AG to provide banned supplement data
WASHINGTON — The Natural Products Association on Tuesday revisited its call to the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to release the study data that served as the scientific basis behind a request to four retailers — GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreens — to remove a number of herbal supplements from its shelves.
"It's been three weeks since the attorney general asked retailers to remove products from their shelves without sharing the study data," noted Daniel Fabricant, NPA CEO and executive director. "The Natural Products Association has serious concerns over the scientific basis for that recall. It has been more than a week since the winds of change from the attorney general focused attention away from DNA in botanical extracts and toward structure/function claims for ingredients with established science behind them," he said. "These actions set a dangerous precedent not just for dietary supplement retailers but for the entire retail market, including manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. If actions such as this are permitted, they will surely branch out to other commodities and industries."
The New York State Attorney General recently expanded his inquiry into the manufacture of herbal supplements to several manufacturers, including Pharmavite, NBTY, Nature's Way Products and Nutraceutical Corp., according to an Associated Press report.
"The scientific community, public health officials, and others have raised serious doubt about the steps taken to ensure the safety and efficacy of the herbal dietary supplements taken daily by millions of Americans," Schneiderman said in his letter, according to the report. "As part of a broader investigation, NYAG is reviewing the sufficiency of the measures manufacturers and retailers are taking to independently assess the validity of their representations and advertising in connection with the sale of herbal supplements."
All of the information the attorney general is requesting from manufacturers can be accessed by the Food and Drug Administration, said Fabricant, former director of the Division of Dietary Supplement Programs at the FDA. "The federal government is fully equipped to regulate dietary supplements, and goes to great lengths to ensure consumer and public health is protected. If the FDA finds issues with manufacturers, it swiftly and resolutely takes action against those firms. In my time at the agency, we were not shy about going after those who put consumers at risk," he said.
"It is perplexing as to why Attorney General Schneiderman continues to use resources to address dietary supplement matters, which do not fall within his authority and are already handled by the regulators within the federal government. The attorney general seems more motivated by generating headlines and plaintiff's cases than by protecting the public health," Fabricant added.