UNPA signs MOU with Southern African Botanical Products Association

The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has signed an MOU agreement with the Southern African Botanical Products Association (SABPA) to advance knowledge of Southern African botanicals throughout the U.S. dietary supplement industry.

As reported recently by NutraIngredients, SABPA is currently comprised of 17 members of Africa’s botanical products industry. The organization’s goal is to create a more connected, compliant and rich supplement industry for a region that has been held back by regulatory challenges that have hindered market access during the past two decades.

“SABPA hopes to raise awareness and develop markets for products in local and international markets,” said Thomas Brendler, SABPA’s head of regulatory affairs. “But for now, SABPA is focused on protecting its native and increasingly popular ingredient, Sceletium tortuosum, which has received intense interest from academia and industry for its role in depression and anxiety.”

In the future, SABPA plans to expand beyond Sceletium to include other Southern African botanicals, such as Aloe ferox, Lippia javanica, Pelargonium sidoides and Myrothamnus flabellifolia.

UNPA hopes to leverage SABPA’s knowledge of this region and serve as a bridge to the U.S. dietary supplement marketplace.

“We are confident in working with SABPA that we can bring these quality botanicals to the U.S. market responsibly,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA founder and president. “This is a largely untapped market that we want to make sure is shaped with safety, sustainability and quality as the pillars of its success.”

Dr. Brendler added: “This is a mutually beneficial partnership that will expand SABPA’s resources, while at the same time giving UNPA’s members and the industry at large the knowledge it needs to explore the use of Southern African botanicals in a rewarding and ethical manner.”