Nutraceuticals World (NW): What are the real world implications of supply chain issues on elderberry price, quality, adulteration, etc.?

Devon Bennett, CEO and Co-Founder, INS Nutra/INS Farms: The supply chain crisis has had a big impact on pricing, particularly shipping, which costs nearly five times or more than “normal.” The other main issue is that everything in agriculture is slow to react. When the market is hot, like it was in 2020, farmers immediately raise prices as demand outpaces supply. When the market doesn’t stay at that level and drops off, farmers and suppliers take a year or two to realize companies can’t sell at that price.

As prices go up cheaters will cheat and begin to cut product with other foreign contaminants that are similar to elderberry. This is something that has really ramped up over the last couple of years as the price went up and supply was limited. 

All of these issues are coming out of the European supply chain, as that’s where over 90% of elderberry comes from. This now has opened the door to allow the American Elderberry a chance to shine, as it can be competitive at the new higher prices when it couldn’t before. 

NW: What are some common adulteration practices companies should be on alert for? 

Bennett: Price is everything when it comes to elderberry. If you see there’s low pricing on elderberry, that’s a question mark. You can’t have premium quality and low pricing at the same time. It just doesn’t work.

Any time you see a powder—whether an extract or juice powder—that is less than about $40 a kilo, you should be on the lookout for adulteration. Any price below this mark would indicate that it is either significantly cut, or is being falsely labeled. Low price is an indication of inferior quality.

When there’s no standardization, transparency, or traceability to where the elderberry has actually been grown, quality will be inconsistent and will vary from batch to batch. INS has been working with the Purity-IQ program, which is all about authenticity and testing for identification of raw material from the field.

The Purity IQ Authenticity Certification Program is a very important tool in combatting against adulteration. They test raw materials and finished products, and will give a fingerprint to show a quantitative measurement of batch to batch consistency.

NW: What measures does INS take to ensure quality and integrity of its ingredient supply?

Bennett: Every lot of incoming products are Purity-IQ tested and polyphenol fingerprinted to ensure that it’s truly authentic. We also do as many audits of the facilities as possible. Everything begins with transparency and traceability.

NW: What advice would you offer to brands when it comes to confirming product quality and guarding against adulteration?

Bennett: I would make sure that retail brand owners are looking for a Purity IQ certification from their supplier, that they participate in the American Botanical Council (ABC) adulteration prevention program (BAPP) and that they really do a deep dive to ask questions about traceability and transparency, especially when they get a low price. Through advanced testing and the Purity-IQ certification program we are now conducting NMR testing to identify and authenticate, and provide consistency with, our elderberry ingredients and finished retail products.

We hope that NMR testing on ingredients will raise the bar of quality to combat adulteration and low pricing. Protecting consumers with elderberry products that are pure, safe, and efficacious is our priority for achieving a sustainable and successful elderberry market.


NW: What are your expectations for the elderberry market moving forward?

Bennett: I believe the elderberry market is going to come back strong in 2022. When we stopped socializing in public in 2020 and early 2021, the spread of everyday viruses our bodies are used to fighting decreased. But if there is anything that 2021-2022 winter has taught us, it’s that regular cold and flu still exists.

Consumers were also tired of hearing the word “immune” in 2021. In 2022, we are seeing the regular cold and flu viruses really exploding in comparison to last year. This is now causing people to get back to a routine that includes elderberry as part of their daily regimen of supplements. This is going to allow the elderberry market to get back on track to where it was going pre-COVID, and continue to grow into the future.

We also believe some companies will begin to fall out of the market. Going into COVID, there were only 25-50 companies selling elderberry as a major product in their portfolio. In 2021 there were over 250. We are already seeing a lot of these companies that were just in it for a quick buck now falling off the map. This will be good for the 25-50 brands that focus on selling a high-quality product, which will in turn give the consumer a better product and more confidence in the market.