ASEAN Guidelines on Limits of Contaminants for Health Supplements

At-a-glance: This annex provides guidance on the establishment of the limits of contaminants in health supplements in three areas: heavy metals, microbial and pesticides

Background: It was agreed that the guidelines on contaminants should cover three areas: heavy metals, microbial contamination and pesticides. With many countries already operating national limits for heavy metals, reaching a consensus was relatively straightforward. For microbial contamination, it was agreed that the British Pharmacopeia was a satisfactory reference point. However, no limits were set for pesticides. This was on the basis that supplement manufacturers in ASEAN are required to purchase raw materials extracted only from plants grown in accordance with Good Agricultural Practices, which should in principle ensure pesticide levels are not excessive.