Experts begin work to validate methods for MSM
call for analytical methods for joint supplement MSM, or
methylsufonyl methane, as part of the program to create validated
testing systems for 20 major supplements.
The group, chaired by David Lakey, president of leading MSM supplier Cardinal Nutrition, wants to create a method that will be used for both raw materials and finished dosage products, including formulations with other ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin.
The method will quantify MSM as a major component and DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) as a trace impurity at 500PPM.
"Any time there is a dispute over the quality of a product, there are questions about what method is used to satisfy that dispute," explained Al Pohland, the AOAC's chief science officer.
With a validated method in place, disputes are more easily solved.
And with GMPs expected to enter into force in the near future, validated methods will be even more important as the manufacturers are required to control the quality of the product as it is produced.
"There is a big interest for the industry in having a validated method," Pohland told NutraIngredients-USA.com.
The MSM method could be validated by spring, he added.
The dietary supplements methods program, contracted out by the National Institutes of Health and FDA, has already drawn up methods for ephedra, beta-carotene and glucosamine, and standardized tests for ginkgo, saw palmetto, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, chondroitin and SAMe are nearing completion.
The ingredients were selected on the basis of their significant share of the supplements market as well as the need for standards to improve trading conditions of these particular products.
MSM is relatively new to the joint health market but there is already some evidence of its efficacy and demand looks set to grow as consumers turn away from arthritis drugs towards natural alternatives.
There are however different levels of quality on the marketplace and different production methods that could lead to potential disputes over composition.
The first part of AOAC's methods process is to ask industry to submit information on the methods it is using. For MSM, stakeholders are asked to respond by December 31, 2006.
Following this step, a single lab validation is done to establish whether the method works on various materials on the market. A multi-lab collaboration then checks whether this method can be reproduced at different centers.
"We should be well on the way to having published official methods by fall," said Pohland.
Stakeholders are asked to submit detailed information on methods, and any validation data to support the method validity, indicating whether reference standards are available.
More information is available from the AOAC website.
