Under new stringent guidelines adopted from this weekend, herbal medicines will now have to be registered. Products must meet safety, quality and manufacturing standards, and come with information outlining possible side-effects.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/01/new-eu-rules-on-herbal-remedies
For many people, the surprise is that such regulatory oversight has not already been automatic.
This is the kind of approach that Skeptics have been asking Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to adopt. At present, manufacturers can choose whether to apply for registration of each remedy as a Listed Product. The TGA’s rule-of-thumb is that listed products must be safe and efficacious; however, the TGA rarely tests Listed Products.
See our earlier article: http://skeptics.cafe/2011/03/19/aca-miracle-fruit-or-fruity-marketing/
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