Valensa International Applauds the State of Florida's New Requirements for Harvesting Saw Palmetto Berries

ORLANDO, Fla., July 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Valensa International applauds the new rule from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Plant Industry, which  requires all landowners and harvesters of saw palmetto berries to have a Native Plant Harvesting Permit as of July 17, 2018.  

According to Larry McCarty, Head of Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Valensa International, "the new rule brings much needed oversight to better preserve the Florida botanical and wildlife ecosystems, while promoting responsible harvesting practices."

Valensa International, based in Florida, is a global leader in driving responsible and sustainable harvesting of saw palmetto, McCarty said.

"The new rule is consistent with the goals of our supply chain excellence program for USPlus™ Saw Palmetto Extract which embodies our commitment to delivering traceability, purity and consistency of supply of saw  palmetto extract in both responsible and sustainable manners," McCarty said. "The new rule creates a level playing field as we require everyone in the supply-chain to have the appropriate permit as a condition of sale, including land owners, pickers, harvesters and dryers."

Hailed as a "Florida Treasure," Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) palms are native to the southeast United States with the vast majority of commercially-harvested berries coming from Florida. 

The clinical proven power of Saw Palmetto lies in the full spectrum Saw Palmetto oil with 85% to 90% total fatty acids extracted from ripened berries at a dose of 320 mg per day.  The oil of saw palmetto berries is an invaluable resource for aging men to help control frequent urination associated with an enlarged prostate or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).  The oil extract is sold as a prescription in Europe and as a dietary supplement in the United States.

"We believe this new rule is an important step that will remove the poaching from the industry and allow legitimate harvesters to sustainably pick the highest quality berries," McCarty said. "This will insure a bright future for the ecosystem, landowners, harvesters, producers and millions of people who rely the health benefits of saw palmetto."

"We look forward to additional efforts by the state of Florida to curb the premature and unsustainable harvesting of unripe green berries for saw palmetto berry powder which has no evidence of effectiveness," McCarty added. 

Valensa recently joined the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Dietary Ingredient Verification Program which has a published monograph for saw palmetto oil extract, and will participate on a panel on November 8^th at Supply Side West in Las Vegas to continue the discussion on sustainable, ethical harvesting and extraction of wildcrafted saw palmetto berries.

About Valensa International

Headquartered near Orlando, Florida, Valensa International is a leading nutraceutical provider of science-based, intellectual property-protected ingredients proven to benefit human health and wellness. With more than 60 U.S. and International Patents for Formulations and Manufacturing, Valensa continues to innovate in the following four areas; men's prostate health, joint health, immunity and healthy aging. Founded in 1999, Valensa International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EID Parry, and produces the following flagship products, marketed under the brands: Parry Organic Spirulina, Organic USPlus® Saw Palmetto Extract, Zanthin® Natural Astaxanthin and FlexPro MD® Joint Health Formulation.

Learn more at valensa.com.

Media Contacts:
Doug Lynch, Sr. Vice President, (609) 977-8953, [email protected] 
David Jahr, Media Relations, (949) 874-2667, [email protected]

Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

SOURCE Valensa International

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