Market Updates

Synutra Pure Continues Push for Chondroitin Purity Education

By: Lisa Olivo

Synutra Ingredients, a division of Synutra Pure, Ltd. of Rockville, MD, continues the campaign it launched three years ago to gain consensus on effective testing methods to detect and deter adulterants commonly used with chondroitin by working with leading experts and standards groups.
 
Synutra will present a poster titled “Best Practices on Chondroitin Quality in a Globalized Supply Chain: Quality Regimes, Standards, and Methodologies” at the upcoming 129th AOAC International Annual Meeting to be held in Los Angeles, CA on Sept. 27 to 30. The poster was authored by Synutra Pure’s President, Weiguo Zhang and Director of Scientific Affairs, Jana Hildreth along with Dr. Volpi from University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy and Drs. Hellen Oketch and Huy Dinh from the United States Pharmacopeia.  Ms. Hildreth will also take part in a session titled “Analytical Roundtable for Regulated: Analytical Laboratories and the Dietary Supplements cGMP Challenge” that will take place on Sept. 30 from 10:15-11:45 AM.  
 
At the upcoming 2015 International Nutrition and Diagnostics Conference to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from Oct. 5-8 Ms. Hildreth will be speaking on the topic “Best Practices on Chondroitin Quality in a Globalized Supply Chain: Quality Regimes, Standards and Methodologies.”  Synutra Pure will also present the poster of the same titleat this meeting.
 
Ms. Hildreth attended AOAC’s Expert Review Panels for chondroitin, anthocyanins and PDE-5 inhibitors that were held in Rockville, MD, on August 3 and 4.  A total of four analytical methods were reviewed for chondroitin, three for anthocyanins and five for the PDE-5 inhibitors. Only two methods were voted upon to obtain first action status: one method for chondroitin and another for the PDE-5 inhibitors (First Action Status means fit-for-purpose methods reviewed and approved by an AOAC expert review panel or method committee based on evaluation against standard method performance requirements or studies conducted.).The chondroitin method approved was one upon which Jana served as a co-author. She also chaired the original AOAC committee that set up the testing criteria. 
 
Due to both AOAC’s and Synutra’s policy of full transparency, Ms. Hildreth was required to abstain from voting on this specific method. Sheserved as one of the AOAC’s Subject Matter Experts in Dietary Supplements and is also a member of the USP’s Adulteration Expert Panel (ADSDDA) and the chair of the AOAC working group on Chondroitin. Ms. Hildreth’s groupwas appointed the task of developing Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs) for a total Chondroitin/Quantitative Assay for raw materials and finished products and a screening method for detecting adulterants in raw materials and finished products.
 
“Given that chondroitin is historically prone to adulteration as a popular yet relatively expensive ingredient, getting the right test methods universally accepted and implemented is gravely important,” said Ms. Zhang. “As the body of science showing the health benefits of chondroitin grows and fuels increased demand, it is crucial that people buying and taking it are getting only pure chondroitin that will deliver the benefits they expect and deserve.”

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