Quality Control in the Supplement Industry with Élan M. Sudberg

Conversations for Health

Élan M. Sudberg is CEO of Alkemist Labs, a passionately committed contract testing laboratory specializing in plant authentication, botanical ingredient identification and quantitative analytical services to the Food & Beverage, Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical Industries. He holds a degree in chemistry from California State University Long Beach and has authored numerous journal articles on phytochemistry and analytical techniques for the natural products and nutraceutical industry. He is on the executive committee of the AHPA, as well as AHPA’s Education and Research on Botanicals Foundation, and past chair of the Hemp and Medical Marijuana committee. He received the 2019 NutraIngredients-USA NutraChampion award for advocacy of best testing practices.

Together Élan and I explore the supplement industry, from the quality of supplements to the process of testing ingredients. Élan challenges the claim that the supplement industry is untested, unsafe and unregulated, and instead offers insights into what actually happens at each stage of testing and what it really means when raw materials are rejected. He gives an overview of the technology behind DNA testing for specific products, the role of HPTLC testing, commonly adulterated ingredients and the importance of challenging the healthcare and health science industries.

I’m your host, Evelyne Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.

Episode Resources:

Élan M. Sudberg - https://www.alkemist.com/about-elan-sudberg/

FDA Dietary Supplement Regulation - https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements

HPTLC Testing - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658041/

Design for Health Resources:

Designs for Health - https://www.designsforhealth.com/

Designs for Health Quality & Manufacturing - https://www.designsforhealth.com/learn-more/quality-and-manufacturing

Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.

https://www.designsforhealth.com/research-and-education/education

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

03:21 Élan was born into a scientist-filled family, cheated his way through high school chemistry, and now runs the world's biggest small-plant chemistry lab.

6:20 Élan takes on the pervasive myth that the supplement industry is unsafe, unregulated and untested.

09:43 The impact of the Dietary Supplement, Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

11:18 Details of the process of each stage of testing for supplemental raw materials.

22:00 A brief but complex history of the technology behind DNA testing for specific products.

28:53 HPTLC testing can distinguish a houseplant from a hot dog, but it can’t detect quality.

33:48 Insisting on high quality raw materials- and rejecting some- may or may not mean that suppliers are trying to get away with low quality.

38:48 Commonly adulterated ingredients in the supplement industry including elderberry and ashwagandha.

42:04 Industry trends that are on the rise.

44:15 Élan preferred supplements, personal health practices, and his view on the importance of challenging the healthcare and health science industries.