Quality Control in the Supplement Industry

Élan M. Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs, leads a dedicated contract testing laboratory focused on plant authentication, botanical ingredient identification, and advanced analytical services for the Food & Beverage, Nutraceutical, and Cosmeceutical industries. With a chemistry degree from California State University Long Beach, Sudberg has contributed extensively to the field, publishing numerous articles on phytochemistry and analytical techniques. He actively serves on the executive committee of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and its Education and Research on Botanicals Foundation and is a former chair of the Hemp and Medical Marijuana Committee. In recognition of his leadership and advocacy for best testing practices, he received the 2019 NutraIngredients-USA NutraChampion award.

Is the supplement industry untested, unsafe, and unregulated?

In this podcast from Designs for Health, the host, Evelyne Lambrecht, along with Élan M. Sudberg deep dive into the supplement industry and explore the quality of supplements and the process of testing ingredients.

Summary of Podcast

This podcast episode features Evelyne Lambrecht in conversation with Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs. They discuss the quality and testing of supplements, addressing the widespread myths about the supplement industry being unsafe, unregulated, and untested. Elan shares how Alkemist Labs specializes in plant and fungal ingredient authentication and purity testing for the nutraceutical industry. He emphasizes that the supplement industry is indeed regulated, subject to FDA standards such as GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) and DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act), making it one of the safest sectors in terms of recalls.

Elan also provides insights into the rigorous testing methods used at Alkemist Labs, such as microscopy, HPTLC (High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography), and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography), which ensure that supplements are tested for identity, potency, and contamination (including heavy metals and pesticides). He describes the testing processes, using simple analogies like comparing the quality of an extracted coffee cup to illustrate how repeated extraction can reduce potency. Additionally, he discusses the complications and limitations of DNA testing in the supplement industry, explaining why certain techniques like botanical fingerprinting are more reliable.

Towards the end of the conversation, Elan and Evelyne explore trends in the industry, such as the growing demand for transparency, quality assurance, and sustainability. Elan stresses the importance of providing consumers with clear information about the quality of the supplements they consume, which aligns with the industry's push for greater transparency. He also shares his top three favorite supplements—probiotics, omegas, and multivitamins—and talks about his health practices, including infrared sauna and jujitsu.

The conversation highlights the ongoing commitment within the supplement industry to ensure the highest quality and safety standards, debunking the misconception that supplements are unregulated or unsafe.

Read the full transcript and original article