Supplements lack labeled herbs, attorney general says

ALBANY, N.Y. – Numerous store-brand supplements aren’t what their labels claim to be, an ongoing investigation of popular herbal supplements subjected to DNA testing has found, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Tuesday.

GNC, Target, Wal-Mart and Walgreen Co. sold supplements that either couldn’t be verified to contain the labeled substance or that contained ingredients not listed on the label, Schneiderman’s office said.

The 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.

Overall, 21 percent of the test results from store-brand herbal supplements contained DNA from the plants listed on the labels.

Schneiderman asked the companies to provide detailed information on production, processing, testing and quality control for herbal supplements sold at their stores.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires companies to verify their products are safe and properly labeled. But supplements aren’t subjected to the rigorous evaluation process used for drugs.

Coke bets on ‘premium milk’

NEW YORK – Coke is coming out with premium milk that has more protein and less sugar than regular. And it’s betting people will pay twice as much for it.

The national rollout of Fairlife over the next several weeks marks Coca-Cola’s entry into the milk case in the U.S.

It’s one way the world’s biggest beverage maker is diversifying its offerings as Americans continue turning away from soft drinks.

Disney has magical 1st quarter

BURBANK, Calif. – The Walt Disney Co. posted quarterly profit and revenue that topped expectations.

Strong results from Frozen merchandise, Disney Channels, and its U.S. theme parks and resorts drove profit up 19 percent in the last three months of 2014.

Revenue from parks and resorts rose 9 percent to $3.9 billion, helped by higher attendance and customer spending at its California and Florida properties. That was in spite of a late December measles outbreak linked to Disney’s Southern California parks.

U.S. factory orders decline

WASHINGTON – Orders to U.S. factories dropped for a fifth consecutive month in December, while a key category that signals business investment plans fell for a fourth straight month.

Factory orders declined 3.4 percent in December after a 1.7 percent drop in November, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. It was the biggest drop since a 10 percent plunge in August and marked the fifth straight month that orders have fallen.

Demand in a key category that serves as a proxy for business investment plans edged down 0.1 percent after bigger declines in the previous three months.

Recycled batteries introduced

ST. LOUIS – Billions of discarded household batteries make their way into landfills every year, and now one of the nation’s largest battery makers says it is putting some of them to good use.

Suburban St. Louis-based Energizer Holdings on Tuesday introduced Energizer EcoAdvanced, described as the first disposable AA and AAA alkaline batteries made with recycled batteries.

The recycled materials comprise about 4 percent of the weight of the new batteries, but the company is aiming for 40 percent by 2025 and hopes to eventually include other battery sizes.