Schneiderman Reaches Deal with GNC on Supplements

NY State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has agreed to settle with GNC, a supplement company, as part of his crackdown on the supplement industry.

GNC released a statement Monday, saying it will expand its testing processes deeper into its supply chain by leading ongoing industry efforts to integrate source material traceability standards including DNA barcoding where appropriate (prior to extraction processes) and enhance certain other aspects of its operations to provide consumers even greater confidence in its products.

The Company believes that given its position as an industry leader, these measures, which would not have impacted availability of the products subject to this review, will result in the adoption of stricter minimum standards across the broader industry – a win for the industry, the Company and consumers.

“As our testing demonstrated, and this agreement affirms beyond any doubt, our products are not only safe and pure but are in full compliance with all regulatory requirements, ” GNC CEO Michael Archbold said in a statement. “A robust testing regime, careful sourcing regimen and detailed manufacturing specifications have always been core elements to ensuring that we provide our customers with high quality products. … This is good for consumers, good for the industry, and good for GNC.”

In early February, Schneiderman sent letters to major retailers asking them to stop their sales of store brand supplements that contained ingredients not on the label or that couldn’t be verified to contain the labeled substance.

In late February, Schneiderman sent letters to manufacturers calling on them to detail ingredient and quality control information on supplements they sell in the state.