As a patient, you will find background information on the following topics here.
The question of whether herbs from China are of good quality is highly justified. Time and again, false herbs are found on the market, i.e. those that do not correspond to the botanical species they are labelled as. In addition, there are products that do not have the quality of ingredients (e.g. menthol, ginsenosides etc.) and, finally, there are often herbs that do not fulfil the purity criteria because they have too high levels of heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxins/mycotoxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs), endocrine disruptors or too much microbiological contamination.
Answer: Complemedis has EVERY batch of herbs tested for all these parameters in Switzerland and in laboratories recognised by the Swiss authorities. Complemedis knows of no other company in the world that carries out similarly rigorous controls.
Complemedis has:
Complemedis subjects its suppliers to regular inspections in accordance with the PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention Scheme). Suppliers have an export licence for their country. Complemedis' main supplier has more than 75 years of experience in the production of concentrated extracts
Complemedis has every batch of its products analysed by the Swiss analytical laboratory Phytax. Phytax's specialised team of doctors, botanists, microbiologists, neuroscientists and sinologists have analysed millions of parameters on tens of thousands of samples over the past 20 years. Phytax employees also work for Swissmedic in an advisory capacity and have been appointed by this authority to the EDQM, European Pharmacopoeia Division in Strasbourg.
Complemedis can prove the quality of its products at any time. To our knowledge, no-one tests as extensively as Complemedis, despite statements to the contrary. Even in Switzerland, there are considerable differences between the various suppliers. This also applies to a far greater extent to foreign suppliers. It is no coincidence that certain TCM companies are based in Luxembourg, Andorra, England or an Eastern European country, or in a country where TCM remedies are merely foodstuffs or food supplements. You may receive a declaration of quality on request, but hardly ever a certificate of analysis, and if you do, it requires a high level of expertise to interpret it accurately.
Unfortunately, it is still not possible to offer the entire range of herbs from Asia in organic quality. Complemedis keeps its eyes open in search of such products. Unfortunately, suppliers of organic goods often do not fulfil the conditions.
The herbs from Complemedis come from cultivation or, if this is not possible, from wild collection. Organic cultivation is still rare in China and certification is often uncertain and not always recognised here. There are different quality levels for TCM herbs. For someone from China to be allowed to sell herbs abroad, a Chinese (or Taiwanese) export licence is required and the material must be of high quality. Several quality requirements must be met throughout the supply chain. Every end product that arrives at Complemedis is also checked again according to all the rules of the pharmaceutical industry.
Complemedis has every batch of herbs analysed in an authorised laboratory in Switzerland. The tests are carried out in accordance with the regulations of the European Pharmacopoeia. Testing for mercury, lead, cadmium and, in Switzerland, arsenic is mandatory. Batches that exceed the limit values may not be traded.
Complemedis has every batch of herbs analysed in an authorised laboratory in Switzerland. Up to 600 pesticides per batch are analysed in accordance with the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia and (unlike most of our competitors) also in accordance with Food Regulation EC 396/2005. Anything that exceeds the limit values is disposed of.
Complemedis has every batch of herbs analysed in an authorised laboratory in Switzerland. The tests are carried out in accordance with the regulations of the European Pharmacopoeia. Anything that exceeds the limit values is disposed of.
Complemedis has the botanical/pharmaceutical identity and the content of important ingredients tested in accordance with the specifications of the European Pharmacopoeia or other regulations. If necessary, additional purity tests (e.g. for microbiological contamination (coli bacteria, salmonella, yeasts), endocrine disruptors, environmental contaminants, gamma radiation, acrylamide and other heavy, semi- and light metals) are also carried out.
You can ask any suitable laboratory, e.g. the company Phytax in Schlieren. Don't be surprised if a test is expensive. It can cost more than CHF 1000.
Complemedis has the necessary authorisations from the authorities and is regularly inspected by them. Plants or animals that fall under species protection may only be traded with the corresponding CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) documents www.cites.org. Plants certified in this way generally come from controlled cultivation. Complemedis offers a few such plants (e.g. ginseng) with the corresponding certificates. Complemedis does not have any products in its range that come from protected animals. Violations of official regulations would be severely punished and you would lose your operating licence. We cannot and do not want to take such a risk.
Complemedis stocks some animal products, for example the shells of various mussels. Please inform the TCM specialist who issues your prescription that you do not wish to receive any animal products. Complemedis does not sell any protected animal species, especially not those that are often mentioned in the press (rhinoceros horn, tiger claws, bear bile, swallow's nests, antelope horn, pangolin). In the case of deer antlers, only the shed antlers are used and not the young, sprouting ones.
Cordyceps is a special case. In nature, the fungus attacks insects, in the case of Cordyceps a caterpillar, killing it and using its body as a source of food. Whether vegans therefore accept cordyceps is beyond the author's knowledge. However, this is irrelevant for our product, as we obtain Cordyceps from an organic reactor. The mushroom grows in a substrate that is produced without caterpillars or animal components. This is because of the price of the natural product, which is 30,000 to 50,000 per kilo.
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