Ensuring the integrity of botanical raw materials: Application of the Standardized Information on Dietary Ingredients (SIDI™) protocol

In today's food and dietary supplement industries, emphasis on raw material supplier qualification by the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the GMP final rule for dietary supplements, food safety concerns and concerns over imported raw materials have elevated interest in supply chain management to an all-time high. Qualifying raw material suppliers and their ingredients is a complex and resource-intensive process. This can be particularly difficult for botanical ingredients, given the complexities around origin, agricultural practices, identity, adulteration and contamination. The Standardized Information on Dietary Ingredients (SIDI™ protocol (logo inset), a self-regulatory tool developed by four industry trade associations is intended to facilitate the efficient exchange of information between raw ingredient suppliers and finished product manufacturers and other users by providing a practical product information guideline in the form of two primary documents. There is a separate sub-section that addresses important issues specific to botanical ingredients. These documents are essentially outlines of the type and scope of information that every raw ingredient supplier should consider when developing their own ingredient information dossiers – documents, CD's or even websites that contain the relevant information on their ingredients that their customers require. This information can then be used to help manufacturers comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices by assisting with the vendor qualification process. It can also serve as a “pre-audit” for regulators or third party certifiers, assist with global product registration and new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications to FDA.