USP General Chapter <561> Articles of Botanical Origin
The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) creates standards for the monitoring of pharmaceutical and botanical products. General Chapter <561> Articles of Botanical Origin outlines tests and specifications for the safety of botanical products. The chapter defines sampling procedures and tests for general characteristics for moisture, ash, starch and fiber. The chapter also describes methods for extractables and volatile compounds. In the interests of safety, USP <561> has procedures for the testing of targeted pesticides and Spex CertiPrep provides standards for that testing under the General Chapter <561>.