When an FDA inspector showed up to inspect my student's herbal product business, he flagged her elderberry echinacea tincture as dangerous, and cited Google AI as his research source. That's where this episode starts, and it gets crazier from there.
This herbalist has done the work, and played by all the rules. She documented everything from seed to final sale. Her SOPs in place, labels compliant. She’s even been working in healthcare for years. She was doing everything right. And still, an FDA inspector who couldn't explain cyanogenic glycosides without consulting an AI chatbot tried to bring her down.
What's in this episode:
- What happened when an FDA inspector flagged elderberry using Google AI as his only source
- The truth about cyanogenic glycosides in elderberries and why the inspector was wrong
- What the American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook says about elderberry
- Why AI-driven research on plant medicine is dangerous and what to do instead
- The bigger picture: how plant medicine has been systematically erased from mainstream knowledge
- What you need to have in place if you run an herbal product line
- How to find support and resources if this happens to you
For full show notes, resources, and links visit: theherbalistspath.com/blog/fda-inspects-herbal-business-elderberry-safety
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Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.
