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America's Largest Professional Society of Medicinal Plant Research Experts Endorses Botanical Adulteration Education Program
American Society of Pharmacognosy Lends Support to ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program
(AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 3, 2013) The American Society of Pharmacognosy
(ASP) has announced its endorsement of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants
Program. This is an educational program designed to increase the herb, dietary
supplements, and natural products industries’ awareness of the need for
enhanced scrutiny via laboratory analysis of herbal raw materials, extracts,
and essential oils that may be accidentally or purposefully adulterated with
lower-cost, non-disclosed ingredients. The Program is headed by three nonprofit
groups focused on research and education on medical herbs and other beneficial
plants: the American Botanical Council (ABC), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia
(AHP), and the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) at the
University of Mississippi.
ASP is North America's leading organization of scientists involved with
research on medicinal plants, fungi, marine organisms, and other natural
materials used in the production of new medicines, comprising the essence of
the science of pharmacognosy. Founded in 1959, ASP consists of more than 1,100
pharmacognosists, natural products chemists, botanists, molecular biologists,
and other medicinal plant research experts from around the world.
Bradley Moore, PhD, president of ASP and a professor at the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego, wrote in a letter
to American Botanical Council Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal,
ASP is making this endorsement in recognition of
the laudable goals and purpose of the Program that has helped increase the
quantity and quality of scientific information on the relatively widespread
problem of adulteration of botanical raw materials, botanical extracts,
essential oils, and other plant-derived materials, which are used in dietary
supplements and possibly in therapeutic products like non-prescription
medicines.
As a Society, we recognize the paramount importance of the proper
identification and authentication of medicinal materials and that they be
adulterant free. Such materials are regularly used for research purposes and as
ingredients in consumer-based products that promote health and remedy disease.
We further recognize that the history of pharmacy and pharmacognosy
acknowledges many cases in which natural products used for medicinal purposes
have been adulterated, either by accident due to inadequate quality control
measures, or intentionally by fraudulent sellers. Such practices are contrary
to the goals of responsible pharmacy, medicine, and public health education
practices.
Guido Pauli, PhD, associate professor of medicinal chemistry and
pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and
treasurer of ASP, wrote, "Botanical adulteration is one of the reasons why
botanical research can sometimes be difficult to be reproduced. The
[ABC-AHP-NCNPR] Program will raise awareness of the topic, and many global
experts in this area are ASP colleagues, so it is only logical for our Society
to endorse this welcome effort."
ASP joins over 100 nonprofit organizations, independent laboratories, industry
members, trade associations, and others that are financially underwriting
and/or endorsing the Botanical Adulterants Program. These groups are located in
the United States and abroad, reflecting the global nature of the botanical
material supply chain.
“Those of us working on the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program are
especially honored by ASP’s recognition of the value and significance of our
work in this vitally important area,” said Blumenthal. “We hope to continue to
merit the trust and confidence that ASP has placed in the Program as we
continue to publish extensively peer-reviewed articles and laboratory guidance
documents to help members of the industry deal with this serious problem.”
According to AHP Executive Director Roy Upton, "It is wonderful
to have the endorsement of ASP, as it was yesteryear's
classical pharmacognosists who were primarily responsible for ensuring
that adulteration did not occur. Botanical pharmacognosy skills
are exactly what are needed to ensure botanical supplement quality
control."
Bill Keller, PhD, longtime secretary of ASP, wrote,
I was quite pleased to vote for ASP’s endorsement
of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program. As Vice President and Chief
Scientific Resource Officer at Nature’s Sunshine Products, I am continually
faced with the possibility of having our product ingredients or our finished
products being adulterated with illicit substances and/or prescription drugs.
The Botanical Adulterants Program is definitely providing a unique and highly
valuable service to the dietary supplement industry in addressing this serious
problem.
Stefan Gafner, PhD, chief science officer of ABC, noted that ASP “has
become the most prominent organization of researchers interested in all aspects
of natural products research in North America. I believe that it is the first
time in the history of ASP that the organization supports a program through an
endorsement, and it is a privilege that ASP chose to do so for the Botanical
Adulteration Program.”
About the American Society of
Pharmacognosy
Founded in 1959, the American Society of
Pharmacognosy is a professional organization of researchers of natural products
used in the development of modern medicines. These natural products are derived
from medicinal plants, fungi, and marine organisms. ASP, in association with
the American Chemical Society, publishes a leading scientific journal, the Journal
of Natural Products. More information on ASP can be found on its
website at www.pharmacognosy.us.
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 underwritten or endorsed
by more than 100 natural product 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 Oct. 3, 2013)*
Financial Underwriters
21st Century Healthcare
AdvoCare International L.P.
Amen Clinics
Amway/Nutrilite Health Institute
Aveda Corporation
BI Nutraceuticals
Bioceuticals
Bionorica AG
Blackmores
Cepham, Inc.
Chemi Nutra
Crinum 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
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
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
Whole Foods Market
ZMC-USA
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Trade Associations
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
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
Alkemists Laboratories
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
Whole
Foods 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 |
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*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.
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