Supplement industry split over NY AG DNA barcode testing

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Natural Products Association on Monday released a joint statement with the New York State Attorney General's office supporting DNA barcoding technology in authenticating herbal supplements. 

 

“We share a common objective of ensuring herbal products bought by consumers are authentic, pure and sold in full compliance with consumer protection laws," the release stated. "While no single test or technology alone can provide complete confidence to consumers, we support the application of DNA barcoding technology as part of a multifaceted approach to assuring authenticity and identifying substitution. This includes testing herbal/botanical ingredients prior to extraction in circumstances where DNA Barcode is available for the relevant species. Together, we look forward to jointly working with major manufacturers and retailers of herbal supplements to promote a model for product safety, authenticity and transparency in this industry."

 

The Council for Responsible Nutrition is still critical of the NY AG's investigation into herbal supplements, however. “CRN has no plans to enter into a settlement with the New York Attorney General without a transparent and fact-based dialogue," stated Steve Mister, president and CEO for CRN. "While we acknowledge legitimate concerns within our industry for which we continue to seek solutions, we continue to believe that the foundation of the NY AG’s investigation is based on faulty science that does not address those problems. Rather, it misdirects attention toward reputable companies already in compliance with federal law and would impose additional burdens and expenses on them," he said. "We understand that individual retailers involved may need to negotiate with the NY AG in order to get their products back on the shelves. After our meeting with the NY AG’s office last month, we have chosen to stand up for the industry. CRN will continue to promote voluntary programs and mandatory federal government standards that are science-based, meaningful and beneficial to consumers, and we are open to working with those who demonstrate the desire to promote consumer health in a transparent manner.” 

 

CRN continues to assert that DNA barcoding is an inappropriate test for supplements. "In addition to the fact that DNA is not relevant to the product’s performance, there’s also the issue that the herbal supplements tested were made from plant extracts, not the whole plant. A plant’s DNA contains the 'recipe' for the plant’s attributes — for example, how it will look and what phytochemicals it will contain," CRN explained. "So if you were testing the plant right out of the ground, you’d expect to find DNA. But, most herbal supplements are made from extracts. In the manufacturing process, the active ingredients — phytochemicals — are extracted from the plant cells and the DNA is actually damaged or left behind. Therefore, a DNA test of these herbal finished products would not be expected to detect plant DNA."