The highest rate of plant adulteration is 57% in herb extract: BAPP has been working for 15 years, why can't it be stopped?

This month (September 17, 2026), the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) removed Andrographis paniculata from the "list of permitted ingredients" - not as a recommendation, but as a mandatory measure: the new regulations will take immediate effect for newly listed drugs, and existing products may face mandatory recalls from mid October.

The trigger is anaphylactic shock: As of December 31, 2025, TGA has received 287 reports of anaphylactic shock containing Chuanxinlian drugs, followed by one death in 2024. Chuanxinlian is commonly used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine for cold, flu, and liver related purposes. Its supplements often alleviate upper respiratory symptoms and are often combined with echinacea.

This is not news, it is a systematic review published in 2024, featuring the non-profit alliance BAPP led by the American Plant Council (ABC). It has been working for 15 years to prevent adulteration, but the latest figure is still 'more than half of ginkgo biloba is adulterated'. Today, I will break down the original text and explain it

A systematic review covering a sample of nearly 3,000

The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has systematically reviewed research on the authenticity of five commonly used botanicals available on the market. Published in 2024 in *Natural Product Reports*—a peer-reviewed journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry—the paper was authored by Nilüfer Orhan, Stefan Gafner (ABC Chief Science Officer and BAPP Technical Director), and Mark Blumenthal (ABC Founder and BAPP Founder). The review synthesized data from 77–78 published studies covering a total of 2,995 commercially available samples, concluding that adulteration is a "widespread and significant problem" within herbal dietary supplements

III. Adulteration rates of five types of plants: the figures are the load-bearing walls.

Out of 2,995 pcs samples, a total of 818 were found to be adulterated or mislabeled. Ginkgo was the most extreme case—more than half of the samples were impure.

Researchers found that *none* of the products sold as registered or licensed herbal medicines were adulterated, whereas those marketed as dietary supplements frequently were. Gafner attributes this to market structure: the dietary supplement market is highly fragmented, with companies competing fiercely for shelf space and market share amidst a completely different pricing model; in contrast, registered herbal medicines are regulated as pharmaceuticals, requiring companies to submit extensive data on safety, efficacy, and quality—compliance costs that are directly reflected in the price (registered herbal medicines in Europe are typically far more expensive than dietary supplements). He also points to warning letters issued by the U.S. FDA to dietary supplement companies, noting that many firms fail to conduct adequate testing against specifications: "Consequently, a supplement company might completely fail to detect adulterated ingredients during its own quality control process."

V. Why has it been impossible to stop this practice despite 15 years of efforts? Gafner highlights four key factors:

Cost: "The more expensive the raw material, the higher the risk of adulteration, as there is a greater profit margin for the adulterator."

Climate: "Climate affects adulteration rates—poor harvests can drive up rates in specific production regions; this has been observed with saw palmetto extract."

Competitive pricing pressure: "Sometimes, suppliers resort to adding cheaper ingredients to the target botanical or substituting it entirely to meet a client's low-price requirements"—this is a common cause of adulteration in ginkgo biloba extract.

Surging demand: Demand for elderberry skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to shortages, sharp price increases, and a subsequent rise in the frequency of adulteration.

V.The paper itself pours cold water on the findings: the figures are imperfect.

Gafner stated clearly that reliable data on the frequency of adulteration simply did not exist previously, forcing them to rely on estimates derived from published literature; "any estimates we provide are based on flawed data." Regarding more extensive surveys—involving the use of appropriate testing methods for each product and periodic re-testing—the only available data comes from the ABC’s own unpublished study in the 1990s, which tested around 500 ginseng products (finding an adulteration or mislabeling rate of approximately 25%). The implication is that the industry is still like the blind men trying to describe an elephant.

So, get back to the main point: how can we purchase genuine, unadulterated extracts? First, look at the price; if it is significantly lower than the market rate, the product is almost certainly adulterated. Second, ask the supplier for a test report; if they cannot provide one, you should be suspicious.

Third, ask about the supplier's quality complaint rate.

Andy Biotech always take quality as the most important  thing for our company.Get zero complaint over the past 10 years.Find Andy Biotech,if you want to buy the genuine herb extract via sales@andybiotech.com