Adulterant

NOW releases ‘abysmal’ results in bromelain testing, announces plans to ramp up testing

21-Mar-2023 By Danielle Masterson

The natural products manufacturer continues into its 6th year of testing unfamiliar brands found on Amazon, with new results showing the problem may not be getting better.

BAPP enters eighth ‘decade’ of published documents with saffron bulletin

24-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program has published its 71st publication, the director of the program said recently at the Expo West trade show recently.

Supplement closet skeleton grapefruit seed extract makes appearance in warning letter

08-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

Grapefruit seed extract, a dubious ingredient that seems to have more lives than a cat, has made another official appearance, this time in a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration.

BAPP bulletin finds less pomegranate adulteration, but failure rate still too high

09-Jun-2021 By Hank Schultz

A new Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program bulletin on pomegranate adulteration finds that the situation has improved somewhat in the past five years, but that a still unacceptably high amount of fraudulent products are in the market.

New name for BAPP better outlines mission of program that ferrets out adulteration

12-Jan-2018 By Hank Schultz

The new name of the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program better identifies it, but doesn’t change the underlying principles on which is it grounded.

Publication outlines rhodiola adulteration and misidentification issues

24-Oct-2017 By Hank Schultz

A new publication on rhodiola outlines the common adulterants or species misidentifications associated with this increasingly popular herb. It’s part of the expanding Botanical Adulterants Program’s list of publications.

Systematic reviews backing efficacy of botanical ingredients continue to pile up, expert says

10-Jul-2017 By Hank Schultz

The good news in the botanicals sector is that increasing numbers of systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that there is strong support for the health benefits of these ingredients, said Mark Blumenthal, founder of the American Botanical Council.

ABC to detail new grapefruit seed extract adulteration bulletin at Oxford botanicals conference

21-Mar-2017 By Hank Schultz

The American Botanical Council’s information on common adulterants has expanded significantly in the past year. This progress will be detailed at a meeting at an upcoming scientific meeting at the University of Mississippi.

ABC Adulterants Program speeds up publication schedule

18-Oct-2016 By Hank Schultz

The pace of publication for ABC’s Botanical Adulterants Program has been accelerating, with the group now claiming more than 25 communications of all types have been distributed.

Special edition: Bone and joint health

Quality and transparency issues continue to dog shrinking chondroitin category

20-Jun-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Despite support from a prestigious Cochrane Review, many manufacturers to re-emphasize chondroitin and to use efficacious amounts in their supplements, says the President and CEO, Synutra Pure.

ABC updates black cohosh adulteration with new bulletin

14-Jun-2016 By Hank Schultz

The American Botanical Council has extended its series of adulteration documents with the release of a Black Cohosh Bulletin.

New ‘Botanical Adulterants Bulletins’ series launched to help raise awareness of herb adulteration

12-May-2016 By Stephen Daniells

The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program has announced the publication of a new series of reviews on adulteration of botanical ingredients called the Botanical Adulterants Bulletins (BABs).

Consumers shortchanged as formulators cut chondroitin use, dosages, Synutra CEO says

15-Mar-2016 By Hank Schultz

The chondroitin market might be getting cleaner, but price issues mean that formulators are shaving down dosages, a major supplier says.

ABC lab document to help industry stem tide of bilberry adulteration

14-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

The American Botanical Council has taken another major step in its Botanical Adulterants Program with the release of a Laboratory Guidance Document on bilberry.

Endorsements continue for Botanical Adulterants Program as AOAC International announces support

11-Jun-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

The AOAC International has endorsed the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, following a unanimous vote by the AOAC Board of Directors in April.

Upcoming trade show session to focus on adulteration, including cranberry

01-Apr-2015 By Hank Schultz

The NYAG affair has put the simmering pot of adulteration of herbal ingredients back on the front burner. A session at the upcoming Ingredient Marketplace trade show in Orlando will focus on the scope of the issue, on methods of detection and on new adulteration...

ABC releases lab guidance document on skullcap showing best methods to detect adulteration

09-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

As part of a second phase of its Botanical Adulterants Program, The American Botanical Council has released the first of a series of laboratory guidance documents, this one pertaining to the herb skullcap. First, the program alerted industry as to what...

Study finds widespread adulteration of grape seed extract

01-Dec-2014 By Hank Schultz

Grape seed extracts have been showing up in increasing numbers in the dietary supplements marketplace driven by their connection with blood pressure support and other health benefits. But are all of these extracts what they seem to be? A recent paper...

‘Some companies claiming they’re strengthening their defense against chondroitin adulterants are not using the right method’: Synutra President

21-Oct-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

A unique collaboration of experts worked together to identify an adulterant in the chondroitin supply and the industry took note, but still some suppliers are not using the right methods and that’s a concern, says the president of Synutra International.

International association endorses Botanical Adulterants Program

08-Sep-2014 By Hank Schultz

A major self policing and informational effort in the dietary supplement industry has received a signifcant boost on the international stage.  The Botanical Adulterants program, a coopertive venture of three North American-based organizaitons, has been...

Herb quality consortium launches ‘Botanical Adulterants Monitor’ focusing on prevention of herbal product adulteration

18-Jun-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

A new e-newsletter from a consortium of nonprofit herbal advocacy and research organizations will provide information related to the prevention and detection of herbal adulteration, quality assurance challenges facing the global botanical products community.

World's largest medicinal plant organization endorses ABC's adulterants program

15-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

The American Botanical Council has acquired a powerful partner.  The world’s largest organization concerned with medicial plants has endorsed ABC’s adulterants program, which researches and publicizes the substances used to adulterate many botanicals...

Synutra Ingredients takes #1 US chondroitin supplier position as quality message resonates with market

03-Dec-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Efforts by Synutra Ingredients to clean up the chondroitin supply chain are being heeded by the ‘largest and best’ supplement manufacturers, says the company’s president, with the company now the #1 chondroitin supplier in the US.

Special Edition: Botanicals

Despite bad publicity, adulteration picture slowly improving, experts say

05-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

The extent of adulteration of herbal supplements has been a question for as long as the products have been on the market.  In light of damaging publicity, such as Monday’s article in The New York Times, is there evidence that progress is being made on...

American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) endorses the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program

07-Oct-2013 By Stephen Daniells

The American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) - North America's leading organization of scientists involved with research on medicinal plants, fungi, and marine organisms – has endorsed the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, the first time...

Leading chondroitin supplier identifies new adulterant. FDA: 'We look at this with great interest'

Synutra Ingredients: ‘The market is responding well to our call to action addressing chondroitin adulteration’

13-Sep-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The efforts of leading chondroitin supplier Synutra Ingredients to clean up the supply chain are being heeded by the industry, says the company’s president, but the complexity of problem is increasing with the identification of a new adulterant.

Ginkgo adulteration ‘very widespread’, say industry experts, so why is awareness low?

05-Aug-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Adulteration of Ginkgo biloba is ‘very widespread’, according to industry sources, but as the adulteration becomes more sophisticated new methods are emerging to help industry ensure the quality of this key herbal.

ABC bilberry article seeks to close door on adulteration

05-Nov-2012 By Hank Schultz

An article published by the American Botanical Council for the first time gathers in one place all of the information available on how bilberry extracts are being adulterated in the marketplace, said coauthor and ABC executive director Mark Blumenthal.

Nonprofits join forces to tackle botanical adulteration

03-Nov-2011 By Elaine Watson

Three leading not-for-profit organizations have joined forces to create an education program to help the dietary supplements trade wise up to the tricks used by unscrupulous suppliers to adulterate botanicals.

Easy as ABC: Botanicals body launches fightback vs economic adulteration

16-May-2011

A new series of white papers will help the dietary supplements trade wise up to the tricks used by unscrupulous suppliers to adulterate herbals and botanicals, American Botanical Council (ABC) founder Mark Blumenthal tells Elaine Watson.

Rapid adulteration testing for supplements developed by NOW Foods

18-Jan-2011 By Stephen Daniells

NOW Foods has developed a rapid screening test to detect adulterants in dietary supplements, which it hopes will change the perception that dietary supplements are ‘unregulated’.