INSIDER caught up with Steve Mister, CEO and president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), at the recent Ingredient Marketplace trade show in Orlando, Florida, to discuss the ongoing situation surrounding the actions of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on herbal supplements. 

The NY AG initially reported his office tested numerous herbal supplements purchased from New York locations of major retailers, including GNC, Walmart and CVS, and found numerous quality control problems and even adulateration/contamination. Despite the big press splash of his announcement, the AG's report was never made public; the only information known was the AG's investigation used DNA testing. The industry, as well as outside experts, immediately and repeatedly blasted this test method as inappropriate for the herbal extracts the AG tested, as the DNA from the whole plant is not present in most extracts.

However, the AG rejected calls for transparency and never revealed his investigation report. Instead he made demands of the retailers involved and came to an agreement with GNC, which agreed to add DNA testing to its already FDA-compliant good manufacturing practice (GMP) testing and process controls. The AG also formed a group of other state AGs and began putting pressure on FDA and federal regualtors to increase regulations and enforcement of dietary supplements.

In this video, INSIDER's senior editor Steve Myers talks to Mister about the integrity of the AG's investigation, the potential fallout from GNC's agreement and what the industry must do going forward to restore consumer confidence in the quality of dietary supplements.

For more on the latest developments in the NY AG situation, check out the recent coverage on the Supplement Law Blog, which includes links to historical events in the NY AG saga.