Download these resources from AHPA's GACP-GMP resource center

AHPA has developed a set of free assessment tools to help the herbal products industry evaluate and document policies and procedures that ensure high quality herbs and herbal ingredients throughout the supply chain. The assessment tools are designed to be used with AHPA's recently released Good Agricultural and Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices for Botanical Materials (GACP-GMP).

Agricultural and collection practices have wide-ranging impacts on product quality, native and regional communities, and the environment. The free guidance and assessment tools provide templates that growers, harvesters, and processors can adapt to their operations to ensure that herbal raw materials used in consumer products are accurately identified, not adulterated with contaminants that may present a public health risk, and fully conform to all quality characteristics for which they are represented.

The GACP-GMP resource center includes nine assessment tools that cover an array of operations, from cultivation and harvesting to assessing botanical identity and quality. A guide is also provided to help companies select sections of the GACP-GMP document that are relevant to their specific botanical operations.

Companies can also use the assessment tools to document adoption of relevant GACP-GMP practices by suppliers. Companies can work with suppliers to identify the sections of the practices that the suppliers must adhere. Suppliers that complete the assessment tools will help companies identify and document all quality practices in the supply chain. It also encourages adoption of a common set of best practices.

"The guidance and assessment tools provide an easy-to-follow road map to implement and appraise best practices for most botanical operations," said Jane Wilson, AHPA's director of program development. "These free resources help companies identify and document practices that adhere to the GACP-GMP guidance and look for opportunities to further expand their commitment to producing and supplying quality botanical materials."

AHPA encourages all members to review the assessment program and determine how to best apply it to relevant operations. The guidance provides a template that is easily adapted to meet the unique needs of a diverse array of botanical operations. AHPA welcomes questions and feedback on the assessment program, which can be directed to jwilson@ahpa.org.