Presentation Addresses Chondroitin Adulteration

NEW YORKSynutra Ingredients president and COO Weiguo Zhang will present on economic adulteration of dietary ingredients and supplements at the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) on September 10, 2013 in Washington, D.C. The conference, Safeguarding the Functional Food and Dietary Ingredient Supply Chain, will focus on compliance requirements for the dietary supplement industry, and is attended by manufacturers, suppliers, attorneys and trade organizations.

Zhang's presentation, Prosperity and Challenges of the Industry, will focus on chondroitin supply chain adulteration caused by supply chain complexity and price pressures. Synutra manufactures branded chondroitin Chondro GoldTM and Chondro CalTM.

Those factors create the kind of environment for ingredients to be subjected to adulteration," Zhang said. In such circumstances, effective testing is essential, and yet if the method used isnt suited for indentifying the common adulterants, the end result is that consumers are not getting the benefits they expect, so confidence, and sales, in the category are being eroded."

Chondroitin may include adulterants such as sodium alginate, alginate suflate di-ester, and a newly identified substance Synutra calls "Zero One" or Z1. We feel strongly that we have a duty to inform the public of what is going on, especially with Z1, an unknown substance that could potentially be a public health hazard," Zhang said, noting the adulterant appears at 235-percent assay value. "At a price comparable to chondroitin, there is ample incentive for adulterators to use this substance, since they can use less.  This stuff has no place in a dietary supplement."

Zhang's presentation will discuss various testing methodologies and their importance.