According to Larry McCarty, Head of Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Valensa International: “The new rule brings much needed oversight to better preserve the Florida botanical and wildlife ecosystems, while promoting responsible harvesting practices.”
Valensa International, based in Florida, is a global leader in driving responsible and sustainable harvesting of saw palmetto, McCarty said.
“The new rule is consistent with the goals of our supply chain excellence program for USPlus Saw Palmetto Extract, which embodies our commitment to delivering traceability, purity and consistency of supply of saw palmetto extract in both responsible and sustainable manners.”
McCarty said: “The new rule creates a level playing field as we require everyone in the supply chain to have the appropriate permit as a condition of sale, including land owners, pickers, harvesters and dryers.”
Hailed as a “Florida Treasure,” saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) palms are native to the southeast United States with the vast majority of commercially harvested berries coming from Florida.
The clinical proven power of saw palmetto lies in the full spectrum saw palmetto oil with 85% to 90% total fatty acids extracted from ripened berries at a dose of 320 mg per day.
The oil of saw palmetto berries is an invaluable resource for ageing men to help control frequent urination associated with an enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The oil extract is sold as a prescription in Europe and as a dietary supplement in the United States.
“We believe this new rule is an important step that will remove the poaching from the industry and allow legitimate harvesters to sustainably pick the highest quality berries,” McCarty said.
“This will ensure a bright future for the ecosystem, landowners, harvesters, producers and millions of people who rely the health benefits of saw palmetto."
“We look forward to additional efforts by the state of Florida to curb the premature and unsustainable harvesting of unripe green berries for saw palmetto berry powder, which has no evidence of effectiveness,” McCarty added.
Valensa recently joined the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Dietary Ingredient Verification Programme, which has a published monograph for saw palmetto oil extract, and will participate on a panel on 8 November at SupplySide West in Las Vegas to continue the discussion on sustainable, ethical harvesting and extraction of wildcrafted saw palmetto berries.
