But rice and beans are good for you, right?

Numerous store brand supplements aren't what their labels claim to be, according to an ongoing investigation that subjected popular herbal supplements to DNA testing. 

The investigation, led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, focused on a variety of herbal supplements from four major retailers: GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreen Co. Lab tests determined that only 21 percent of the products actually had DNA from the the plants advertised on the labels. 

"This investigation makes one thing abundantly clear: The old adage 'buyer beware' may be especially true for consumers of herbal supplements," Schneiderman said. His office issued cease and desist letters to the retailers on Monday telling them to stop sales of the products.

The investigation found supplements, including echinacea, ginseng, St. John's wort, garlic, ginkgo biloba and saw palmetto, were contaminated with substances including rice, beans, pine, citrus, asparagus, primrose, wheat, houseplant and wild carrot. In many cases, unlisted contaminants were the only plant material found in the product samples. [Emphasis added by Damien]

The retailer with the poorest showing was Walmart, where only 4 percent of the products tested showed DNA from the plants listed on the labels.
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Damien's note: Walmart has a reputation for handling products from major manufacturers that do not come up to the standards of the producers. The manufacturers sell them to Walmart at a discount and Walmart sells them to the unsuspecting customers who think they are buying top notch brands. Why should we be surprised that Walmart cheats on its in-house brands? 

PS -- Conservatives want the government out of regulating markets because, well, you know, the owners are all about taking care of their customers and would never do sneaky things because that would hurt their sales. Shame on Walmart, Walgreens, Target and GNC!