Four major retailers were accused by the New York State attorney general’s office of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements. The attorney general demanded that they remove the products from their shelves.

Questions:
1. Who were the four national retailers?
2. What were the results of tests performed on the supplements?
3. In summary, what were the charges made by Attorney General Schneiderman in the “cease and desist letter” sent to the retailers? What are “cease and desist letters”?
4. What type of information did Attorney General Schneiderman request regarding the manufacture of the supplements in question?
5. What is DNA bar coding and why is it important in fraud investigations?
6. Based on your opinion, does Senator Orin Hatch appear to be “independent in fact or appearance” regarding the federal law process that exempt supplements from the FDA approval process for drug approvals? Discuss.

Sources:

O’Connor, A. (2015). New York Attorney General Targets Supplements at Major Retailers. The New York Times, Feb. 3 (Retrievable online at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/)

PBS Video. (2015). The News Hour, Feb. 3 (Retrievable online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMzq7iItaOI)