Board Approves New Procedure
For IASC Certification Process


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On November 23, the IASC board approved the following motion initiated by Dr. Steve Orndorff, Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. For more information on this procecedure or to receive the entire protocol, please contact the IASC office.


I move that the Board of Directors modify the current product Certification Program by replacing the current test methods and standards with those given below. The identity of aloe will be based upon the presence of acetylated polysaccharide (marker compound) and quality will be indicated by the presence of malic acid and absence of other carboxylic acids (e.g., succinic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, etc.).

The Science and Technology Committee will be charged with implementation of this program but the selection of a third-party contract analytical laboratory will be recommended by the STC to the Executive Director, Mr. Gene Hale, for final approval. The committee will also solicit competitive bids from at least three (3) labs and the recommended lab will be subject to a pre-award audit. The committee will periodically challenge the veracity of the contract lab by submitting blinded samples of known composition for testing.

Finally, the current tests for calcium magnesium and potassium will be continued in their present form until the proton NMR method is made quantitative (which is expected no later than August, 1999).

Test Method
Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR).

Certification Standards
1. Total dry weight solids:
Liquid product -
0.5% minimum for gel products
1.0% minimum for whole leaf products

NOTE: Solids weight is exclusive of excipients, additives, fillers and other non-aloe substances, and is calculated on a 1X aloe solids basis.

2. Proton NMR analysis:

Analyte
Presence/Absence
2,3,6 Acetylated polysaccharide
+
Malic acid
+
Glucose
+
Mannose
+
Sucrose and other monosaccharides & disaccharides not given here -, except when declared as added ingredient
Maltodextrin -, except when declared as added ingredient
Barbaloin and Isobarbaloin -, if declared as "anthraquinone-free"
Carboxylic acids other than malic acid
-
NOTE: Samples are analyzed directly "as received" and no attempt is made to concentrate, separate, purify or otherwise treat the sample except in some cases to lyophilize liquid samples.