Product Quality
Any drug, food, herb, or vitamin product can have adverse effects if it is not properly prepared or contaminated in some way. We try to ensure quality products by developing relationships with suppliers with good reputations. Below is a summary of information relating to product quality.
Preparations from China
It has been our experience to note that most of the Chinese herbal preparations that find themselves in the news as having dangerous or suspect ingredients come from Taiwan or Hong Kong. We are well aware of these products and avoid carrying them or selling them for the safety of our customers. Currently, most of our Chinese products from reputable factories in mainland China. A number of our most popular products are manufactured by Lanzhou Minshan Medicines Factory in Lanzhou, PRC, a subsidiary of Gansu Medicines & Health Products Import and Export Corporation which is a state-run, large scale import and export corporation that specializes in the export of Chinese herbs, Chinese patent medicines and herb extracts under the trademark “Tanglong”. Lanzhou Minshan Medicines Factory has been issued a “Certificate of Commodity for Chinese Herb Medicine Export” by the Ministry of Chinese Medicines & Health. They have also received a certificate of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Compliance from the GMP Audit & Licensing Section, Conformity Assessment Branch, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA is part of the Australian Government Department of Health and Family Services. Australia is a signatory to the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention (PIC).
If you are still unsure of the safety of Chinese herbal preparations we can also special order products made by Millenia which has been in business since 1946 or the Plum Flower brand. Both have excellent products and high manufacturing standards.
Bulk Herbs
Bulk herbs that we sell are bought in small one pound packages and are not fumigated. We frequently check for infestation by bugs which indicate that the product has not been sprayed. Some herbs have been preserved with sulfites. Sulfites are added to foods to prevent discoloration and spoilage. They are commonly used in restaurants to preserve the freshness of salads. Other food sources include dried fruits, wine, some beers, and some soft drinks. Sulfites can cause some asthmatics to develop reactions which, depending on the person, may be severe. If you are sensitive to sulfites it is best to avoid the bulk herbs or you special order unsulphured herbs which are slightly more expensive. Like any type of preservatives we feel that the problems that may result from not preserving an herb properly far outweighs the risks of using sulfites.
About the author: ChineseHerbalAdviser
