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News & Views
Another Attempt to Stamp Out the Supplement Industry
Date: 16/08/11
Keywords: European Food Safety Authority, Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, Alternative medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Natural remedies, St. Johns Wort, supplements
Our regular readers will know that the European Union’s (EU) Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) recently came into full force. The THMPD is made up of draconian laws and regulations that make it almost impossible for a traditional herbal medicine (such as an Ayurvedic remedy or Chinese traditional remedy) to be licensed in Europe unless it has been used for 30 years in the European Union (EU) – or 15 years in the EU and 15 years elsewhere.
However, some herbal products have managed to survive the cull, and some have even been licensed as herbal medicines and are now considered Registered Herbal Medicines. This means that they have to be labelled with detailed, relevant patient information, including possible adverse effects and contraindications.
Our regular readers will know that the European Union’s
(EU) Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD)
recently came into full force. The THMPD is made up of
draconian laws and regulations that make it almost
impossible for a traditional herbal medicine (such as an
Ayurvedic remedy or Chinese traditional remedy) to be
licensed in Europe unless it has been used for 30 years in
the European Union (EU) – or 15 years in the EU and 15 years
elsewhere.
However, some herbal products have managed to survive the cull, and some have even been licensed as herbal medicines and are now considered Registered Herbal Medicines. This means that they have to be labelled with detailed, relevant patient information, including possible adverse effects and contraindications.
Confusion abounds!
Much as the labelling of herbal medicines and remedies is necessary for safety and information reasons, it’s a process that has left almost everyone involved utterly confused, simply because of the complexity of the THMPD and the European Medicinal law.
Simply put, there are now different categories under which herbal remedies and medicines fall. This classification affects the safety information printed on their labels.
The three main categories are:
Herbal Medicines: These herbal products have made the grade and are now licensed as herbal medicines under the THMPD. As I mentioned above, these medicines must now carry detailed, relevant safety information, including possible side effects and drug interactions.
Food supplements and remedies: Supplements and remedies are products that did not qualify as a medicine and by law cannot be labelled with any health claims, including any medicinal benefits and as a result cannot carry any warning of possible drug interactions or side effects.
Defunct products: These are products not licensed in any shape or form. However, existing stock is still allowed to be sold (but not marketed) in the UK. Once it’s sold out... sadly, these products will disappear from our shelves and will probably never be seen again.
Spanner in the works
Recent research from the University of Leeds, warned that popular herbal remedies could pose a health risk because they react badly with conventional drugs and can cause allergic reactions.
I can’t fault the researchers on that warning. However, the careless and inaccurate wording used to report their findings either shows a complete lack of understanding of how the EU labelling process works, or is yet another masked attempt to vilify alternative medicine once again... or both!
Firstly, the researchers warn that the side effects of some “natural remedies”, like St John's wort, an alternative medicine for depression, can reduce the effectiveness of contraceptive pills. It can also affect warfarin, a blood- thinning drug often prescribed to prevent blood clots.
St. John’s wort is now licensed as a registered Herbal Medicine and should not be referred to as a ‘remedy’ anymore. So, if the researchers wanted their findings to carry any weight, they should’ve differentiated between the categories by which herbal products are now classified, instead of making such careless blanket statements!
St. John’s wort earned it’s right as a registered herbal medicine and should therefore be called (labelled) by that name!
Not only that, but the researchers compared the label information of herbal medicines with that of herbal supplements — a futile exercise, since each category is labelled differently according to their classification. It would be like comparing apples and pears and expecting they must taste the same because they are both a fruit and grow on trees.
Triple whammy
By now your head must be spinning!
To their credit, the only thing the researchers really exposed with their analysis is how the EU’s labelling process of herbal products has turned into a massive debacle, which could in fact worsen the problem it set out to prevent!
It’s a triple whammy for the EU, the alternative medicine industry and those involved in trying to establish the correct way of labelling these products... Not to mention the effects on the poor consumers, who simply want to walk into a health food store, pick a supplement or a herbal remedy off the shelf and read the product’s label to see what benefits, side effects and interactions they can expect.
However, if Joe public now picks up a herbal product that is registered as a supplement, they won’t see any safety information printed on the label... because it’s forbidden by law! Opening up a hornet’s nest of possible health and safety concerns.
People will be taking supplements without any label warnings, which could cause harmful interactions with their prescription medicine. The end result being that not only are people’s lives put at risk but the supplement industry’s reputation will suffer further still. Before you know it, all supplements and remedies will be banned, or sold at such low dosages that it won’t matter whether you are taking them or not!
Let’s face it, no one is going to turn around and blame an inadequate and poorly thought-out labelling system!
If you ask me, this EU category and labelling exercise is designed to slowly stamp out the supplement industry, once and for all... and isn’t that exactly what these guys have always wanted?
Sources:
‘Shoddy study casts doubt on herbal products' safety information’ published online, anh-europe.org
‘Newly Licensed Herbal Medicines’ published online, herbfacts.co.uk
Back to topHowever, some herbal products have managed to survive the cull, and some have even been licensed as herbal medicines and are now considered Registered Herbal Medicines. This means that they have to be labelled with detailed, relevant patient information, including possible adverse effects and contraindications.
Confusion abounds!
Much as the labelling of herbal medicines and remedies is necessary for safety and information reasons, it’s a process that has left almost everyone involved utterly confused, simply because of the complexity of the THMPD and the European Medicinal law.
Simply put, there are now different categories under which herbal remedies and medicines fall. This classification affects the safety information printed on their labels.
The three main categories are:
Herbal Medicines: These herbal products have made the grade and are now licensed as herbal medicines under the THMPD. As I mentioned above, these medicines must now carry detailed, relevant safety information, including possible side effects and drug interactions.
Food supplements and remedies: Supplements and remedies are products that did not qualify as a medicine and by law cannot be labelled with any health claims, including any medicinal benefits and as a result cannot carry any warning of possible drug interactions or side effects.
Defunct products: These are products not licensed in any shape or form. However, existing stock is still allowed to be sold (but not marketed) in the UK. Once it’s sold out... sadly, these products will disappear from our shelves and will probably never be seen again.
Spanner in the works
Recent research from the University of Leeds, warned that popular herbal remedies could pose a health risk because they react badly with conventional drugs and can cause allergic reactions.
I can’t fault the researchers on that warning. However, the careless and inaccurate wording used to report their findings either shows a complete lack of understanding of how the EU labelling process works, or is yet another masked attempt to vilify alternative medicine once again... or both!
Firstly, the researchers warn that the side effects of some “natural remedies”, like St John's wort, an alternative medicine for depression, can reduce the effectiveness of contraceptive pills. It can also affect warfarin, a blood- thinning drug often prescribed to prevent blood clots.
St. John’s wort is now licensed as a registered Herbal Medicine and should not be referred to as a ‘remedy’ anymore. So, if the researchers wanted their findings to carry any weight, they should’ve differentiated between the categories by which herbal products are now classified, instead of making such careless blanket statements!
St. John’s wort earned it’s right as a registered herbal medicine and should therefore be called (labelled) by that name!
Not only that, but the researchers compared the label information of herbal medicines with that of herbal supplements — a futile exercise, since each category is labelled differently according to their classification. It would be like comparing apples and pears and expecting they must taste the same because they are both a fruit and grow on trees.
Triple whammy
By now your head must be spinning!
To their credit, the only thing the researchers really exposed with their analysis is how the EU’s labelling process of herbal products has turned into a massive debacle, which could in fact worsen the problem it set out to prevent!
It’s a triple whammy for the EU, the alternative medicine industry and those involved in trying to establish the correct way of labelling these products... Not to mention the effects on the poor consumers, who simply want to walk into a health food store, pick a supplement or a herbal remedy off the shelf and read the product’s label to see what benefits, side effects and interactions they can expect.
However, if Joe public now picks up a herbal product that is registered as a supplement, they won’t see any safety information printed on the label... because it’s forbidden by law! Opening up a hornet’s nest of possible health and safety concerns.
People will be taking supplements without any label warnings, which could cause harmful interactions with their prescription medicine. The end result being that not only are people’s lives put at risk but the supplement industry’s reputation will suffer further still. Before you know it, all supplements and remedies will be banned, or sold at such low dosages that it won’t matter whether you are taking them or not!
Let’s face it, no one is going to turn around and blame an inadequate and poorly thought-out labelling system!
If you ask me, this EU category and labelling exercise is designed to slowly stamp out the supplement industry, once and for all... and isn’t that exactly what these guys have always wanted?
Sources:
‘Shoddy study casts doubt on herbal products' safety information’ published online, anh-europe.org
‘Newly Licensed Herbal Medicines’ published online, herbfacts.co.uk
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