A risk-based approach to contamination screening in botanical food supplements

The use of botanical supplements is growing, especially in industrialized countries, to support health and well-being. However, safety concerns raised due to contamination with pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and adulterants, as well as the presence of unintended or deliberately added plant species [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]. Therefore, robust quality control measures are essential to ensure product safety not only before but also after commercialization. The variety of available botanical ingredients used to formulate food supplements makes contamination screening a challenging process. Therefore, the selection of relevant plant species based on the market prevalence and potential risk could be beneficial. The present work was aimed at defining risk categories to guide targeted sampling and subsequent analytical evaluation, in the context of a research project funded by the Italian Ministry of Health. A decision-making algorithm was developed to select botanical species based on the following criteria: market diffusion, frequency of occurrence in commercial products, alerts from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), reports of suspected adverse reactions from the Italian Phytovigilance System, and available literature on contamination. The algorithm application allowed to create a high-interest list which included Cynara scolymus , Taraxacum officinale , Bacopa monnieri , Calendula officinalis , Curcuma longa , Echinacea angustifolia , Melissa officinalis , Glycyrrhiza glabra , Vitis vinifera , and Withania somnifera . Overall, our selection strategy supported the identification of target botanicals for subsequent chemical and molecular analyses, ensuring a representative and risk-informed sampling. This approach provides a model for improving surveillance and quality control in the sector of botanical supplements to ensure consumer safety. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany