Synutra International (Nasdaq: SYUT) President Weiguo Zhang announced the company’s latest steps in its proactive efforts to banish adulteration from the chondroitin supply chain. The company has named Jana Hildreth, an expert in chondroitin testing, to the staff as director of technology and scientific affairs. Continuing interaction with USP and AOAC is showing progress, with a significant move in the AOAC official method development process expected this week.

Hildreth, who served as one of the AOAC's Subject Matter Experts in Dietary Supplements, is also a member of the USP's Adulteration Expert Panel (ADSDDA) and is the chair of the AOAC working group on Chondroitin. Hildreth’s group was appointed the task of developing Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs) for a total Chondroitin/Quantitative Assay for raw materials and finished products and a screening method for detecting adulterants in raw materials and finished products. She will be presenting those SMRP’s for a vote at the AOAC’s annual meeting Stakeholder Panel on Dietary Supplements, Sept. 5, 2014 in Boca Raton, Fla.

"Ms. Hildreth brings her extensive experience in and knowledge of the industry to our efforts," said Weiguo Zhang. "Synutra Ingredients is committed to working with leading experts and scientists in the industry to develop and advocate meaningful testing methods to help keep the supply chain clean."

Synutra has been working closely with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in developing high purity reference materials for use in their chondroitin proficiency testing program. They have also been working directly with USP on developing a new monographs for the Calcium salt form of chondroitin in raw materials as an important step in achieving their overall goal of raising the bar on the testing in order to clean up the supply chain.

Synutra is a co-sponsor of the AOAC TDRM member reception at the AOAC annual meeting.

Chondroitin is often targeted for adulteration because chondroitin products are in the top five best-selling dietary supplements, with annual sales of about $1 billion, and most chondroitin ingredient is sourced from overseas. Synutra, currently the largest supplier of chondroitin as a dietary ingredient in the world, started tracking and monitoring chondroitin adulteration in the supply chain more than three years ago.