Herbal Supplement Contaminants

GAO study reveals contaminants in herbal supplements.
The New York Times (5/26, A15, Harris) reports, "Nearly all of the herbal dietary supplements tested in a Congressional investigation contained trace amounts of lead and other contaminants, and some supplement sellers made illegal claims that their products can cure cancer and other diseases, investigators found." Although the "levels of heavy metals -- including mercury, cadmium and arsenic -- did not exceed thresholds considered dangerous," almost half of them "contained pesticide residues that appeared to exceed legal limits." Notably, "Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said in an interview that he was not concerned about the safety of the supplements tested by the GAO investigators." Still, Sharfstein added that "the FDA had increased enforcement actions against supplements spiked with prescription drugs."