By Karen Dente

A controversial set of rules in the EU that changes the way herbal medicinal products are licensed and marketed in Europe came into full force this May, ending a seven-year grace period that had allowed manufacturers to come up to speed on the new measures.

Under the law, any plant product with a new curative claim sold over the counter is subject to an approval process the same as the one that pharmaceutical drugs are required to undergo when seeking marketing authorization. Additionally the new regulations, known as the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, will force natural products producers to adhere to the standards of good manufacturing practice, a set of guidelines designed to ensure the quality of a product.

Although the use of herbal medicines in Europe is on the rise, the safety regulations governing these products in the EU have been “a mess,” according to Frederic Vincent, spokesperson for the EU Directorate General for Health and Consumers in Brussels.

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Image: Tracy Hunter, Flickr under Creative Commons