Good Agronomic Practices

Good Agronomic Practices for Herbs (EYSGAP-Herbs) Certification Scheme

In April 2008, Eu Yan Sang International Ltd launched the Eu Yan Sang Good Agronomic Practices for Herbs (EYSGAP-Herbs) Certification Scheme - the world’s first safety control scheme for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Herbs.

Good Agronomic Practices essentially extend beyond agricultural production processes to cover “above-soil” operations such as storage and transportation. With this holistic approach, consumers enjoy the added guarantee of a dependable product at every stage of its production and distribution process – from seed to shelf.

Eu Yan Sang may have over a 130 years of experience in TCM, and Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP) certified manufacturing and distribution facilities, but we still ensure the independent verification of the quality of our TCM products. This is because we recognize the increasing concerns of consumers with regards to the safety and traceability of food they consume, and their desire to make informed decisions.

This certification scheme is audited by Agrifood Technologies, a commercial arm of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore, who brings professional science-based expertise and experience in establishing Good Agronomic Practice systems. Their systems are based on international guidelines and standards for herb production, and handlings from organisations such as the World Health Organisation, CODEX Alimentarius and American Herbal Products Association. Taking the role of an external auditor, AVA independently verifies that Eu Yan Sang’s supply sources for particular TCM herbs conform to the standards of the EYSGAP-Herbs Scheme. They also ensure the application of internationally-recognised food safety standards in the EYSGAP-Herbs Certification.

The first herb at Eu Yan Sang to have ever obtained the EYSGAP-Herbs Certification is LingZhi. The Agrifood Technologies officers evaluated the supplier’s production system on its good farming practices, post harvest handling and processing practices, and even included a review of the supplier’s documentation, records, management and product quality control systems.

In support of this initiative, we created a new EYSGAP-Herbs label which will be applied to fine premium TCM herbs at Eu Yan Sang. Upon seeing this label on any of our TCM products, consumers will know that the herb used originated from a EYSGAP-Herbs certified production source, and can be assured of its quality.