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Rosalee Hellberg, an associate professor in Chapman University's Food Science Program, and her research team have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against adulteration in dietary supplements. Effective methods for identifying adulteration and fraud have remained elusive. Now, a new study of 50 commercially available ginseng products has found surprising results.

The study, titled "Use of a Novel Combination of Multiplex PCR and DNA Barcoding in Assessing Authenticity of Ginseng Products," is published online in the journal Food Control.

Ginseng products are vulnerable to fraud, with cheaper plant materials substituted for genuine ingredients, posing risks to consumer health and safety. Using a novel combination of DNA testing techniques, the researchers detected undeclared plant species in nearly half of the 50 ginseng supplements tested.

The Chapman University research team detected DNA from undeclared species in 48% of samples, including rice, wheat, avocado and pumpkin. One in four products contained only the expected ginseng species, 16% of the samples contained both the expected ginseng species and other undeclared species, and another 32% of the samples contained only undeclared species.

The detection method used could help regulatory bodies and manufacturers improve quality control in the dietary supplement industry. The global market for ginseng supplements is projected to reach $17.9 billion by 2030.

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