Vanilla

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Many industries are involved, such as forestry, agriculture, chemical, food, flavor, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and fragrance. The plant raw materials are roots, rhizomes, bulbs, leaves, stems, barks, wood, flowers, fruits, and seeds. These yield gums, resins, essential (volatile) oils, fixed oils, waxes, juices, extracts, and spices for medicinal and aromatic purposes. All these commodities are traded worldwide. A dealer’s market report for an item may say “drought in the country of origin has forced up prices.”

Natural products do not mean safe products, and account of this has to be taken by the above industries, which are subject to regulation. For example, a number of plants that are approved for use in medicine must not be used in cosmetic products.

The assessment of “safe to use” starts with the harvested plant material, which has to comply with an official monograph. This may require absence of, or prescribed limits of, radioactive material, heavy metals, aflatoxin, pesticide residue, as well as the required level of active principle. This analytical control is costly and tends to exclude small batches of plant material. Large-scale, contracted, mechanized cultivation with designated seed or plantlets is now preferable.

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