The Botanical Safety Consortium (BSC) was officially convened in November 2019, as the result of a Memorandum of Understanding between the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the non-profit Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI).
Key actions
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Get Involved
Join events and working groups to advance botanical safety science.
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At a Glance (PDF)
One-page overview of BSC goals, structure, and how to participate.
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Learn More
Explore our mission, principles, and current initiatives.
Our current charge is to evaluate the suitability of assays for botanicals as complex mixtures.
The BOTANICAL SAFETY CONSORTIUM will provide a sound scientific basis for integrating existing botanical safety & toxicity information with the latest toxicological tools.
This multi-partite, multi-stakeholder international effort will bring together key scientific experts to enhance the botanical safety toolkit and bring clarity to botanical dietary ingredient assessments.
New Publication: Chemical standardization of kava (Piper methysticum) extract using UHPLC-MS/MS and the method of standard addition
Measuring what is in a botanical extract is an essential step in studying its safety. A new publication from researchers working with HESI Global’s Botanical…
3rd International Congress of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society
25 – 29 October 2026 Durban, South Africa Poster Title: “The Botanical Safety Consortium: A collaborative effort to advance the use of…
New publication: A proposed evaluation of new approach methodologies for dermal toxicity assessment of botanicals
Botanicals are widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, but their complex and variable composition can make traditional safety assessment challenging. The HESI Global…
HESI is a non-profit, 501c3 charitable organization that convenes leading scientists from the public and private sector to identify emerging health challenges and solutions, translates science from research to application, and enhances the protection of human and the environment health worldwide.
For more information, please contact: botanicalsafety@hesiglobal.org.