“Hundreds of traditional and imported remedies on the shelves of health food shops and herbalists are set to be banned under new licensing rules.
The EU directive aims to protect users from any damaging side-effects that can arise from taking unsuitable medicines.
Only high quality, long-established and scientifically safe herbal medicines will be sold over the counter.
Some traders who sell products imported from outside the EU say their business will be hit.
Herbal medicines – with names such as Cascara Bark and Horny Goat Weed – have become popular.
But from the first of May an EU directive will be enforced, under which all such products must be licensed, following fears that some products could cause harm.
Producers and independent health store owners say the directive, passed in 2004, is draconian and skewed in favour of the largest European manufacturers.
Selwyn Soe runs The Herbal Factory, a contract manufacturer of herbal remedies in Croydon, south London. He believes smaller firms like his own will be squeezed out altogether.
“Unfortunately it looks as if we will have to close down because of this legislation,” he said.
“The problem for us is that although we would have to pay many thousands of pounds for a licence to keep making each product, unlike a drug company we would not have a licence to make that product exclusively. It just will not be worth paying out the money.”"
Read more at BBC News
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