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The most recent article in the series, The Adulteration of Commercial Bilberry Extracts, also written by Foster, was published in the winter 2012 issue of HerbalGram. Bilberry fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a popular food in Europe where it grows wild throughout Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. It is also a best-selling supplement ingredient in the US marketplace. In a probable example of economically motived adulteration, it seems that many bilberry extracts are adulterated with a "confusing morass" of ingredients, including black soybean hull extract, amaranth dye (also known as Red Dye No. 2), charcoal, and various other fruits.
With more than 100 underwriters and endorsers of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, Blumenthal says that he believes that this widespread support will continue to bring the global problem of adulteration to the attention of members of the herbal and dietary supplement community.
"We will continue to invite more companies, organizations, and others – both in the US and internationally – to join with us in this educational quest to increase knowledge about authenticity and adulteration problems," said Blumenthal. "Adulteration is an ancient and global problem. With increased education through an effective program, we believe we can significantly reduce, perhaps even eliminate, some of the problems in the market."
In addition to the series of articles, the Adulterants Program includes contributions and consultations from some of the leading independent third-party laboratories with experience in quality control and botanical identification issues. The editorial committee, which advises on all technical publications, includes e
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