AHPA Releases Organoleptic Guidance Doc

SILVER SPRING, M.D.American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) released its newest guidance document, Organoleptic Analysis of Herbal Ingredients, available for download on its website. The 37-page document provides instruction for companies interested in using sensory analysis to identify herbal ingredients.

Written by the AHPA Standards and Botanical Raw Materials committees, the guidelines focus on materials identification using sight, smell, taste and texture experiences. Topics covered include appearance, texture, fracture, aroma, taste and mouth feel. The document also features the working group report Considerations in Sensory Evaluation and Organoleptic Analyses.

"Organolepsis can be a scientifically valid tool in its own right, and its use may also be employed to differentiate different grades of material," said Steven Dentali, Ph.D., AHPA's chief science officer. "It is anticipated that this guidance may eventually be accompanied by examples of organoleptic evaluations from classic texts for comparison purposes."

On April 1, AHPA announced the organization amended its Code of Ethics to include mandatory caffeine labeling for all products; read more about the move in the news brief, "AHPA Requires Caffeine Labeling."