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Herb Research Foundation |
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Research Foundation Provides Perspective on Fungicide Found in Panax
ginseng.May 21, 1998: Boulder,
CO. Irvine, CA-based supplement maker, PharmaPrint, Inc, notified
the FDA that it had found residues of the agricultural fungicide quintozene,
also known as PCNB, in a shipment of raw ginseng root. "All herbal products should be free of harmful residues," commented Herb Research Foundation President Robert S. McCaleb. "In this case, the discovery of quintozene in ginseng is disturbing, but the levels found do not represent a major health concern." Hauser, Inc., is one of several sources of ginseng for American dietary supplement makers. Scientists at Finzelberg AG in Germany discovered the quintozene for PharmaPrint, and reconfirmed the results through additional testing at Schuster Laboratories in the US. Quintozene is a common fungicide used to inhibit molds on field crops. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established human dietary tolerance levels for quintozene, and the FDA monitors products for these levels. Hauser's Chief Executive Officer, Dean Stull, says he believes that the levels of quintozene cited by PharmaPrint are well below any reasonable risk levels. In random samples of a ginseng shipment supplied by Hauser, Inc, levels of fungicide ranged from three parts per million to twelve parts per million. The World Health Organization considers 700 mcg per day to be a harmless level for an average 70 kg (154 lb) person. "Assuming a ginseng tablet contained 100 mg of ginseng extract, it would take 700 tablets to reach the World Health Organization's acceptable daily intake of quintozene," notes McCaleb. "This fungicide has fairly low toxicity and is allowed on imported broccoli, lettuce and other crops."HRF Press Release |
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