Herbal products

Herbal supplement often Do not contain the herbs on the label 

Source: NIH

This study tested 44 herbal products from 12 companies using genetic testing to determine if the ingredients on the label matched what was found in the supplement. They used an established herbal barcode library which contains DNA information on the hundred species of herbs. They tested the supplements and compared the DNA to the information from the herbal library. They found that 59% of the products tested contain plant species not listed on the labels. In the supplements that did contain the herbs listed on the label 48% of them also contain contaminates or fillers not listed on the label. Only two of the twelve companies had products without any substitution contamination or fillers. They recommend that the herbal industry and herbal barcoding and authentication prevent this kind of substitution and contamination in herbal products.