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Botanical testing methods submitted by industry group.
In an effort to improve the herb industry's reputation for consistency,
the Methods Validation Program (MVP) has finalized testing procedures
for ginkgo, echinacea, and ginseng. The group's goal is to approve testing
methods for 15 herbs by the year 2000. Currently, the US Pharmacopoeia
and the American Organization of Associated Chemists (AOAC) are reviewing
the group's work for publication in their official compendiums. The
MVP is funded by 30 industry members, including raw materials suppliers,
manufacturers, distributors, and trade organizations. So far, the MVP
has chosen high-tech methods such as HPLC that are also practical and
useable. This is the first step in a self-regulatory process that should
ultimately cover harvest procedures, extraction, and finished raw materials
as well.
Natural Foods Merchandiser, November, 1998.
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