Quality

Herbal medicines are often very safe to take; however, their safety and efficacy can be jeopardised by quality issues. Buying herbal medicines from reputable suppliers, from sources known to test their herbs is important to preclude contamination, adulteration or substitution with incorrect plant matter, and ensuring that recognised marker compounds are at appropriate levels in the herbs.

Some important quality assurances to look for are certified organic labelling, the correct scientific/botanical name, and the availability of information from the supplier about ingredient origins. Explore the articles in our Quality section to learn of quality issues in the herbal industry and assurance methods used to mitigate them.