It's a Jungle Out There
By Rebecca Wright | 07.01.07
The melamine scandal is an event that will be remembered for years to come as one that changed not only how the ingredient industry operates, but also how consumers view the industry at large. Think of it as an event that helped unveil the ugly side of trade and manufacturing-a modern day rendition of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, if you will. I'm sure someone is already hard at work on a novel or movie.
Published in 1906, The Jungle, as most people know, was an exposé on the meat packing industry that stunned the American public. It served as a catalyst for change, inspiring the creation of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the establishment of the FDA. Almost a century later, a similarly-themed book called Fast Food Nation hit consumers with the same impact. The book discussed in great detail the rise of fast food and how it changed diets, the economy and the workforce-it also highlighted the inhumane treatment of cattle and what really happens to our nation's burgers by the time they reach our mouths. The movie Fast Food Nation was released last year. How fitting for it to come out exactly 100 years after Sinclair's best-selling novel was published.
Getting back to melamine, the amount of press coverage on this issue over the last two months has been astounding and revealing-each day fraught with more bad news about what suppliers are doing not only to pet food, but also to toothpaste and dietary supplements as well. The high profile nature of this issue has officially rendered the supply side vulnerable in the eyes of most consumers, authorities and industry experts. And while many have been quick to blame the Chinese for less than ethical business practices, it seems the suppliers using or importing these ingredients are just as much to blame for looking the other way. This issue of Nutraceuticals World explores the topics of quality and adulteration from many angles.
The first piece to touch on quality in the context of trust is the "Healthcare Practitioner Corner" column (page 32), in which author Erik Goldman ponders how this industry can present a value proposition to consumers when it can't even trust some of its suppliers or contract manufacturers. "If you want to improve the industry's Value Proposition, you're going to have to re-establish and safeguard that chain of trust," he says.
This issue's "From the Corners of the World" column (page 34) points out that while the Chinese may in some cases carry out questionable business practices, U.S. suppliers and manufacturers are to blame as well for not having adequate checks and balances in place. In this regard, the columnists ask, who should accept responsibility for the current situation?
The third piece in this issue that touches on quality is a sidebar on spotting authentic Hoodia gordonii, which appears in the herbs and botanicals update starting on page 50. That this herb is highly sought after is both a blessing in terms of sales and a curse in terms of quality. Unfortunately, questionable Hoodia gordonii continues to flood the market.
Following the herbs and botanicals update is an article on developing a business model that incorporates both science and quality (page 60). It lays out a practical, comprehensive roadmap for those who want to raise the bar in their company.
The last article focuses on recent adulteration problems in relation to the herb bilberry (page 72). The point of this article is to let readers know that adulteration is very real and can be devastating both to sales and human life. One reason adulteration happens is that companies view testing as something confusing and mysterious. Author Steven Dentali from the American Herbal Products Association points out that testing does not have to be onerous, expensive or complex in order to be effective.
The objective of The Jungle, according to Upton Sinclair, was to expose the harsh, inhumane working conditions in the meat packing industry. What screamed louder to the public, however, was the cleanliness, or lack thereof, in the packing factories. In the end, Sinclair said, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." It seems history has repeated itself.
Rebecca Wright
Editor
rwright@rodpub.com
Published in 1906, The Jungle, as most people know, was an exposé on the meat packing industry that stunned the American public. It served as a catalyst for change, inspiring the creation of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the establishment of the FDA. Almost a century later, a similarly-themed book called Fast Food Nation hit consumers with the same impact. The book discussed in great detail the rise of fast food and how it changed diets, the economy and the workforce-it also highlighted the inhumane treatment of cattle and what really happens to our nation's burgers by the time they reach our mouths. The movie Fast Food Nation was released last year. How fitting for it to come out exactly 100 years after Sinclair's best-selling novel was published.
Getting back to melamine, the amount of press coverage on this issue over the last two months has been astounding and revealing-each day fraught with more bad news about what suppliers are doing not only to pet food, but also to toothpaste and dietary supplements as well. The high profile nature of this issue has officially rendered the supply side vulnerable in the eyes of most consumers, authorities and industry experts. And while many have been quick to blame the Chinese for less than ethical business practices, it seems the suppliers using or importing these ingredients are just as much to blame for looking the other way. This issue of Nutraceuticals World explores the topics of quality and adulteration from many angles.
The first piece to touch on quality in the context of trust is the "Healthcare Practitioner Corner" column (page 32), in which author Erik Goldman ponders how this industry can present a value proposition to consumers when it can't even trust some of its suppliers or contract manufacturers. "If you want to improve the industry's Value Proposition, you're going to have to re-establish and safeguard that chain of trust," he says.
This issue's "From the Corners of the World" column (page 34) points out that while the Chinese may in some cases carry out questionable business practices, U.S. suppliers and manufacturers are to blame as well for not having adequate checks and balances in place. In this regard, the columnists ask, who should accept responsibility for the current situation?
The third piece in this issue that touches on quality is a sidebar on spotting authentic Hoodia gordonii, which appears in the herbs and botanicals update starting on page 50. That this herb is highly sought after is both a blessing in terms of sales and a curse in terms of quality. Unfortunately, questionable Hoodia gordonii continues to flood the market.
Following the herbs and botanicals update is an article on developing a business model that incorporates both science and quality (page 60). It lays out a practical, comprehensive roadmap for those who want to raise the bar in their company.
The last article focuses on recent adulteration problems in relation to the herb bilberry (page 72). The point of this article is to let readers know that adulteration is very real and can be devastating both to sales and human life. One reason adulteration happens is that companies view testing as something confusing and mysterious. Author Steven Dentali from the American Herbal Products Association points out that testing does not have to be onerous, expensive or complex in order to be effective.
The objective of The Jungle, according to Upton Sinclair, was to expose the harsh, inhumane working conditions in the meat packing industry. What screamed louder to the public, however, was the cleanliness, or lack thereof, in the packing factories. In the end, Sinclair said, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." It seems history has repeated itself.
Rebecca Wright
Editor
rwright@rodpub.com
