The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is pleased to announce the release of the highly anticipated third edition of Herbs of Commerce.
The publication provides guidance on consistent naming of botanical ingredients on product labels, especially those marketed in the United States as dietary supplements, and is now available for purchase on Amazon.
AHPA published the first edition of Herbs of Commerce in 1992 as self-governing guidance to reduce confusion associated with labeling botanical ingredients and establish a single “standardised” common name for each listed herb. The publication took the force of federal law when it was incorporated by reference in 1997 as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated rulemaking to implement the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.
AHPA published the second edition of Herbs of Commerce in 2000, with the aim to expand and update each subsequent edition to reflect herbs presently on the market and contemporary botanical nomenclature. The newly published third edition contains entries for over 2,800 separate plant species, over 1,000 botanical synonyms, over 300 Ayurvedic, and over 700 pinyin names.
This latest version is the culmination of several years of conscientious work by experts dedicated to the science and study of herbs
- AHPA Chief Information Analyst Merle Zimmermann
“Herbs of Commerce is a critically important reference for AHPA members and the wider dietary supplement industry,” said AHPA Chief Information Analyst Merle Zimmermann, PhD, who served as the managing editor of the third edition. “This latest version is the culmination of several years of conscientious work by experts dedicated to the science and study of herbs and supporting transparency in the trade.”
“Dietary supplements are currently of peak interest to health-minded consumers,” added AHPA President Michael McGuffin, who has been at the forefront of the dietary supplement industry from its start through its growth to a multibillion-dollar market, and who also served as an editor of the second edition of Herbs of Commerce. “Responsible marketers have a duty to clearly and accurately label herbal ingredients to help consumers make well-informed decisions about the products they buy, and Herbs of Commerce serves as an authoritative resource for naming botanical ingredients.”
In a statement, AHPA extended gratitude to many herbal experts who made assisted with production and publication. The association said: "Supporting Dr. Zimmermann's managing editorship were contributing editors McGuffin and Holly E. Johnson, PhD, (AHPA), and taxonomic editor Wendy Applequist, Ph.D. (Missouri Botanical Garden). In addition, David Bunting (Herb Pharm), Mitch Coven (Vitality Works), Daniel Gagnon (Herbs, etc), Wilson Lau (Nuherbs), Roy Upton (American Herbal Pharmacopoeia), David Winston (Herbalist & Alchemist), and Steven Yeager (Mountain Rose Herbs) generously volunteered their time and expertise to serve on the Expert Advisory Council for this edition of the text."
