Ingredient Insights Video: Botanical Testing

Botanicals are complex matrices containing thousands of compounds. Considering hundreds—if not thousands—of botanicals are used in dietary supplements, some of which only present small differences when compared to plant relatives, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to properly identifying botanical ingredients.

However, after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation into dietary supplements in February 2015—an investigation that relied on DNA barcoding to identify plant materials in botanical products—emphasis on DNA barcoding increased. This video explores how Scheiderman’s probe has impacted botanical testing methods, including DNA barcoding’s current and potential role.

To read INSIDER’s coverage of Schneiderman’s probe, and for additional insight on botanical testing and quality, visit: