The latest publication of the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) documents how cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is mislabeled or adulterated. It is the program’s first bulletin focusing on a fungal ingredient. Cordyceps is harvested from the wild and is considered one of the most valued ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). “This has been a challenging bulletin to write, especially figuring out what is currently offered as ‘cordyceps’ in various regions around the globe,” comments co-author Stefan Gafner, chief science officer of the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC). “The main takeaway for the dietary supplement industry is that better methods to authenticate the various products marketed as cordyceps are needed.”
