Herbal products
In the UK, herbal products are either foods or medicines.
To find out which regulations apply to a particular herbal product or ingredient, you first need to check which category it falls into. You can do this by reading the guidance and looking at the list in the herbal ingredients section of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website at the link below.
If your product is a medicine rather than a food:
You should contact the MHRA for guidance if your herbal product/ingredient is medicinal.
Contact: Borderline Unit, Inspection & Enforcement Division, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5NQ; tel: 020 7084 2602 / 2759; fax: 020 7084 2676; email: info@mhra.gsi.gov.uk
If your product falls into the food category:
If the product you are interested in is subject to the provisions of European Union and UK food law, it will be regulated in accordance with its function (e.g. food ingredient or flavouring).
If it is a food ingredient, evidence of its sale in the EU is a key factor in determining whether a safety assessment before its sale is required. In order for us to advise you as to the status of your product as quickly as possible please email further details of the product to herbals@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.
In addition you should include the following information:
- the name, including the Latin name
- the form in which it is to be consumed (eg extract, dried, concentrate), the intended dose and country of origin
- details of how the product or ingredient is produced
- the intended use (eg food supplement, food ingredient, flavouring)
- details of previous consumption in the EU
You should include details of any safety data you may have.