In a market where adulteration is rampant, manufacturers are increasingly choosing to differentiate themselves by using scientific methods to validate the authenticity of their products. Depending on the supplement in question, testing methods may range from visual microscopy to state-of-the-art Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) techniques. However, regardless of the measurement method chosen, appropriate quality control (QC) measures to ensure that the method is performing as expected are vital to the quality of the data produced. LGC Axio proficiency testing provides a range of samples that assist supplement manufacturers in verifying the authenticity, quality, and consistency of commonly adulterated products, including elderberry.
As of April 2024, Amazon.com has implemented significant updates to strengthen compliance requirements for dietary supplements sold through their website. Sellers must now obtain compliance verification from one of three third-party testing, inspection, and certification organizations: NSF, UL, or Eurofins. While ISO 17025-accredited labs are still acceptable, sellers must submit testing data to one of these companies, which are now responsible for verifying that supplement products adhere to the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices, are free from harmful contaminants, and have accurate ingredient labelling. Amazon is particularly scrutinising products marketed for sexual enhancement, weight management, and sports nutrition, requiring testing for undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). While supplement suppliers appreciate efforts to improve market integrity, they are still assessing the costs and impact of these rapid changes to their businesses. In the European Union (EU), food supplements are regulated as foods, and their quality is the responsibility of producers and distributors. Within European law, with the exception of vitamins and minerals, there are no commonly accepted standards for the composition of food supplements [10]. Some EU member states have adopted a list of ingredients allowed or prohibited in food supplements, although the composition of these products is still largely subject to national legislation, resulting in numerous trade barriers even between countries within the EU [10]. Due to the sheer number of supplement products on the market in the EU, and the lack of extensive post-market surveillance, quality standards remain a significant issue. For example, in 2020 Mannino et al. [11] tested 24 supplements that claimed to contain cranberry: only five did so, and the majority of samples also claimed an incorrect amount of bioactive compounds. Another study, published in 2021 by Gaspar et al., reported that 45% of the bilberry food supplements they tested were of unacceptable quality. It also found that some did not even contain bilberry, or had been adulterated with anthocyanin chemicals from other sources [12]. Adulteration can take different forms: for example, by adding extracts or compounds from other plants [13] (as commonly happens with Gingko biloba ), or by using other parts of the plant [14] (such as Ginseng root adulterated with leaves and/or stem). Meanwhile elderberry, widely used to treat cold and flu symptoms and ‘boost the immune system’, saw sky-rocketing sales during the COVID pandemic, together with a parallel increase in cases of adulteration [15]. A recent study revealed that over 60% of dietary supplements purporting to contain European elderberry exhibited anthocyanin profiles that differed markedly from those of authentic elderberry anthocyanins - strongly suggesting adulteration with additional ingredients, such as black rice and purple carrot [15]. ‘Anytime there is an increased demand for a product there is a very real risk of economically motivated adulteration’ Deleo de Leonardis, CEO of Purity-IQ Inc
PT Sample Format
Analyte
PT-PH-19 Supplied as 1g elderberry plant
Phytochemical identity confirmation
material or plant extract
3
lgcstandards.com/AXIO
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