|
|
|
|
World’s Largest Group of
Medicinal Plant Researchers Endorses ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants
Program
Society for Medicinal Plant and
Natural Product Research Adds New Dimension of International Support to Quality
Control Program
(AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 14, 2014) The largest
international professional organization of scientists who analyze and research
medicinal plants and therapeutic derivatives thereof has endorsed an
educational program that advises industry, health professionals, and
researchers about the challenges of adulterated herb and botanical products.
The Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (known by its acronym GA, based on its former German name) is the
largest international scientific society devoted to medicinal plant research,
with members from more than 90 countries. In a letter from GA President Prof.
Matthias Hamburger, PhD, to Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of
the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) and general manager of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants
Program, Dr. Hamburger
notified Blumenthal of the GA’s decision to endorse the Program.
Adulteration refers to the accidental or intentional substitution or
dilution of a material with an undisclosed lower-cost ingredient, thereby
giving the consumer or user a false sense of the value of an ingredient or
product containing such an adulterated ingredient.
The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program is a coalition of three
nonprofit groups: the American Botanical Council, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products
Research, with more than 100
other American and international parties supporting and cooperating with the
Program.
According to Dr. Hamburger, professor of pharmaceutical biology in the
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Basel in
Switzerland, “In recent years, the use of botanicals has substantially
increased worldwide. When purchasing botanicals, consumers assume that herbal
materials and products derived from them are of good quality and that these
products can be safely used. However, adulteration of botanicals is a serious
and growing problem. Unfortunately, the risks involved with intake of
adulterated products are largely unknown to consumers, and the awareness of
actors in the field is insufficient.”
He continued, “We are acutely aware of the problems related to
adulterated herbal products and the need to address this problem of global
concern.”
“The GA’s endorsement of this Program is a significant development and very
much in line with the aims of GA, namely to contribute to the advancement of
research and science in the field of medicinal plants and phytotherapy (the
medicinal use of botanically-based preparations), and to cooperate with
organizations pursuing similar aims,” said Rudolf Bauer, PhD, Professor of Pharmacognosy
at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Graz in
Austria, and past-president of the GA.
“Adulteration of herbal materials and products is a serious problem,” he
continued. “It not only jeopardizes consumers, but it also challenges
research and credibility of phytotherapy. In a globally growing market,
international efforts are needed to combat this malpractice. Therefore, I am
very happy, that all leading organizations in the field are now joining forces
in order to raise awareness and to overcome this problem.”
The GA’s endorsement of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program
follows a similar endorsement by the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP)
last year. ASP is North America’s largest professional organization of
researchers in the field of medicinal plants and drugs of natural
origin.
“The endorsement of our Program by both the GA and the ASP signifies not
only the global nature of the problem of adulteration in the botanical supply
chain, but also represents the concerns of many leading medicinal plant
research experts regarding this significant problem, and their confidence in
and cooperation with the educational work we are doing,” said ABC’s Blumenthal.
According to AHP Executive Director Roy Upton, “It is exciting to
receive an endorsement from GA. GA is the most prestigious organization in the
European Union regarding medicinal plant research. It is heartening to see them
take an active interest in our efforts to create the same solid foundation they
have for quality herbal medicinal and health products.”
“The endorsement by the GA certainly shows the importance of the
Botanical Adulteration Program and the positive impact it is already having on
the quality and safety of botanicals in the international arena,” said Ikhlas
Khan, PhD, research professor of pharmacognosy and assistant director of NCNPR.
Prof. Khan’s group is a US Food and Drug Administration Center of Excellence,
charged with analyzing botanical ingredients and dietary supplement products,
as well as training FDA field inspectors who routinely inspect herb and dietary
supplement manufacturers to ensure compliance with federally mandated good
manufacturing practices.
To date, the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program has published
five extensively peer-reviewed and referenced articles on the history of
adulteration, the adulteration of the herbs black cohosh and skullcap, and
adulteration of extracts of bilberry fruit and grapefruit seed. These
open-access articles are available on the Program’s webpage: www.herbalgram.org/adulterants. Additional publications from the Program will be released in 2014.
About the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural
Product Research (GA)
The
Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research was founded in
1953 in Germany for the purpose of promoting and disseminating medicinal plant
research. Over the years, GA has developed into an international scientific
society with approximately 1400 members from more than 90 countries. The
scientific interests of GA cover all aspects of natural medicinal products,
such as agricultural science, biology, chemistry, pharmacy, pharmacognosy,
pharmacology, and medicine. Since 1953, Planta Medica has been the
official journal of the society. Each year the GA organizes a large
international congress on medicinal plant research in major European cities,
and every five years holds joint meetings with related European and North
American scientific societies, e.g., ASP. More information about GA is
available on its website: www.ga-online.org.
About the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants
Program
The ABC-AHP-NCNPR
Botanical Adulterants Program is a consortium of independent nonprofit
organizations whose mission relates to education, scientific research, and
quality of botanical dietary ingredients and related plant-derived materials.
The consortium is headed by three nonprofit groups dealing with education and
research on medical herbs and other beneficial plants: the American Botanical
Council, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and the National Center for Natural
Products Research at the University of Mississippi. The program is underwritten
or endorsed by more than 100 natural products industry companies, independent
analytical laboratories, contract research organizations, nonprofit and
professional organizations, trade associations, accredited institutions of
education in natural medicine, law firms, and media companies — which are
involved in the production, supply, manufacture, distribution, marketing,
analysis, research, and/or education of herbal dietary ingredients and
supplements, in the United States and internationally. Companies,
organizations, foundations, and/or individuals interested in supporting this
program are invited to contact Ms. Denise Meikel, ABC Development Director, at
(512) 926-4900, ext. 120, or by email.
Underwriters and Supporters of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR
Botanical Adulterants Program (as of Jan. 14, 2014)*
Financial Underwriters
21st Century Healthcare
AdvoCare International L.P.
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Amen Clinics
Amway/Nutrilite Health Institute
Aveda Corporation
BI Nutraceuticals
Bioceuticals
Bionorica AG
Blackmores
Cepham, Inc.
Chemi Nutra
CNCA Health
Crila Health
dicentra, Inc.
Doctor's Best
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Emerson Ecologics
Enzymatic Therapy, Inc.
Ethical Naturals, Inc.
Eu Yan Sang International
EuroMed
EuroMedica
EuroPharma
Flavex Naturextrakte GmbH
FoodState/MegaFood
Fruit d'Or
Gaia Herbs
Gencor Nutrients, Inc.
GNC, Inc.
Helios Corp.
Herb Pharm
Herbalife International, Inc.
Horphag Research
Indena USA, Inc.
Linnea
Markan Global Enterprises, Inc.
Martin Bauer, Inc.
Metabolic Maintenance Products
Metagenics, Inc.
Natural Factors Nutritional
Products, Inc./Bioclinic Naturals
Nature's Sunshine Products
Nature's Way
Naturex, Inc.
NBTY, Inc.
New Chapter, Inc.
The New Frontier Foundation
Fund of the Greater Cedar
Rapids Community Foundation
Ningbo Greenhealth
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Novel Ingredients
NOW Foods
Nu Skin Enterprises/Pharmanex
Nutritional Laboratories
International
Pacific Nutritional Inc.
Paragon Laboratories
Pathway International Pty
Limited
Perrigo Company
Pharmatoka SAS
Pharmavite, LLC
Pure Encapsulations
Rainbow Light Nutritional
Systems
RFI Ingredients, LLC
Sabinsa Corporation
Schwabe North America
Shaklee Corp
Standard Process, Inc.
Thorne Research, Inc.
Traditional Medicinals, Inc.
Triarco Industries, Inc.
Unigen
Valensa International
V.D.F. FutureCeuticals
Verdure Sciences
Vitamin Shoppe
Weil Lifestyle, LLC
ZMC-USA
|
|
Trade Associations
Complementary Healthcare Council
of Australia
Consumer Healthcare Products
Association
Council for Responsible Nutrition
Natural Products Association
United Natural Products Alliance
Nonprofit/Professional Associations
American Association of
Naturopathic Physicians
American Society of
Pharmacognosy
Council of Colleges of
Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine
Personalized Lifestyle Medicine
Institute
Society for Medicinal Plant and
Natural Product Research (GA)
Colleges/Universities
Bastyr University
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic
Medicine
National College of Natural Medicine
Southwest College of Naturopathic
Medicine
University of Bridgeport College of
Naturopathic Medicine
Third-Party Analytical Laboratories
Alkemist Labs
AuthenTechnologies LLC
Bent Creek Institute
British Columbia Institute of
Technology
ChromaDex
Covance Laboratories
Eurofins Scientific Inc.
Flora Research Labs
NSF International
Spectrix Labs
Tampa Bay Analytical
Media
Delicious Living
Engredea
Functional Ingredients
Holistic Primary Care
Integrator Blog
Modern Healthcare Practitioner
Natural Foods Merchandiser
Natural Products INSIDER
New Hope 360.com
Nutraceuticals World
NutraingredientsUSA.com
Nutrition Business Journal
Nutrition Industry Executive
Nutritional Outlook
Virgo Publishing
Vitamin Retailer
WholeFoods Magazine
Law Firms
Amin Talati, LLC
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (James
Prochnow)
Law Office of Holly Bayne, P.C.
Robert Forbes & Associates
Contract Research Organizations
KGK Synergize
Medicus Research
Other
Shanghai Research Center for
TCM Modernization
Institute of Materia Medica of
the Chinese Academy of Sciences
|
|
*By
acknowledging the generous support of these companies and organizations, ABC, AHP,
and NCNPR are not endorsing any ingredients or products that may be produced or
marketed by them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|