The MOU includes projects to further botanical identification programs and recognizes that such cooperation will advance consumer confidence, industry standards and compliance with federal laws and regulations governing botanical dietary supplements, according to a press release from UNPA.
“This agreement allows UNPA to tap into the strengths of the medical school’s analytical, technical and policy expertise, and specifically, its expertise in clinical trials and toxicology,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president.
“This agreement is in alignment with and compliments our MOU with the world-leading work being done at the National Center for Natural Products Research Center (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi, as the two schools already work together and share resources pertaining to the study of botanical products and dietary supplements.”
Igor Koturbash, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and vice-chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and co-director of the Center for Dietary Supplements Research at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, added: “We are particularly excited about the recently signed MOU with UNPA, a leading trade organization in the world of dietary supplements, that will help to bridge the gap between academic centers and the dietary supplement industry, resulting in mutually beneficial and long-lasting collaborative efforts.”
“Our partnership with NCNPR, where we complement NCNPR’s well-recognized international expertise with our state-of-the-art analytical tools and expertise for safety and efficacy, results in a powerful tool that is capable of covering all the aspects of science pertinent to dietary supplements,” added Koturbash.
