Herbal products
The most rapidly growing segment of the industry in the current situation is Herbal products or natural products. Some of the plants and their components as well as their parts are considered as valuable due to the active ingredients present in them. Currently regular consumption of industrialized foods as a result of sedentary lifestyle and urbanization, leads to increased cases of chronic diseases and long- term side effects that will adversely affect generations. In view of this, people are shifting their focus to natural food products. The significance of any food substance relies on the functional components or bioactive components present in them.
The functional components or bioactive components present in the herbal products can be made available either in the form of extracts or as whole. The demand and significance of herbal extracts is majorly due to their natural origin with minimal adverse effects and can be consumed as a part of diet rather than medication. Phytochemicals present in them add the value to the herbal products.
Let’s have a look on the most important and widely used phytochemicals
- Alkaloids like Caffeine & Nicotine
- Terpenes extracted from ginkgo, sage, valerian, ginseng and many others
- Phenolic substances like curcumin, resveratrol, catechins, epigallocatechin
- Isoflavones mainly extracted from soyabeans
Here are some examples of herbs containing antioxidants – Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Thyme, Turmeric, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Saffron, Rosemary, Garlic, Sesame, Radish, Cumin, Fenugreek, Aloe vera
Safety Concerns
In recent years, issues relating to rapidly increasing use of herbal products, dependence of many people living in developing countries on plants as a major source of nutrition coupled with absence or weak regulation of herbal products in most countries. The occurrence of high-profile safety concerns, have increased awareness of the need to monitor safety of the products and deepen understanding of possible harmful as well as potential benefits associated with the use of herbal extracts and related products.
One of the major concerns that affects the consumption of herbal products is their possible toxicity. All plants are not edible; hence it is important to take necessary measures in accurate identification of each and every species used for consumption, let it be medicinally or nutritionally.
For complete herbal and related products testing services, please visit our Eurofins food testing page.
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- Strong customer focus with quality service
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- Lab with the latest equipment
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