Botanical ingredients: Intakes, regulations, risks and attitudes
Jan 03, 2021
Botanical ingredients have been used for centuries in food and in medicines, typically to support and maintain physiological functions and as remedies for many ailments. Today, botanical ingredients are still ingested as part of food supplements or herbal medicines (HM). Industry reports suggest growing global sales of and revenue from HM and food supplements containing botanicals, hereafter called botanical food supplements (BFS). In the context of this suggested growing popularity, this article will introduce both BFS and HM and then explore the available data on BFS intakes and consumer attitudes to their use. It will describe the EU regulatory framework within which BFS sit and mention research suggesting possible interactions between botanical ingredients, HM and traditional medicines. It is intended as a brief overview rather than a comprehensive review of the area.
EU Court overturns ban on use of natural botanical extracts in food
European Union
Nov 18, 2024
CJEU overturns EU-wide ban on the presence of hydroxyanthracene derivatives (HAD) in botanical preparations
European Union
Nov 14, 2024
New draft regulation for the use of poppy and coca plants for medical, scientific and industrial purposes
Colombia
Nov 04, 2024
UK reviews food safety of Ashwagandha
UK
Jul 10, 2024
France issues opinion on the potential adverse effects of Ashwagandha
France
Jun 17, 2024
Algae list added to Germany's substances list
Germany
Apr 11, 2024
Anvisa updates list of plant parts authorized for the preparation of teas and for use as spices
Brazil
Nov 02, 2023
ANSES develops herbal supplement safety tool
France
Jun 27, 2023
China - Food and medicine continuum’ in the East and West: Old tradition and current regulation
China
Dec 22, 2022
Label compliance for ingredient verification: regulations, approaches, and trends for testing botanical products marketed for “immune health” in the United States
USA
Sep 27, 2022
Regulation on restriction of eucalyptus leaves and its extracts
Taiwan
Aug 23, 2022
Exploitation of the traditional evidence for botanical health claims on foodstuffs in Europe
European Union
Jan 24, 2022
Sanitary regulations on processing plants certified in good manufacturing practices for foods for special diets have been published
Ecuador
Oct 05, 2021
FSSAI issues order to verify the alleged use of dairy terms in food products of plant origin
India
Oct 03, 2021
Health claim evaluation on grape seed extract and maintenance of normal blood pressure published by EFSA
Aug 31, 2021
