Reducing Microbial Load in Organically Farmed Medicinal Herbs

Organic herbs are popular among consumers of botanical dietary supplements but carry higher microbial loads, particularly yeast and mold, compared to conventional products. This makes it difficult for them to attain guidelines on microbial limits proposed by relevant authorities. It is important to find methods to reduce microbial load to within these limits using methods that conform to the "organic" ethos. This project investigates the ability of 2 heated-air drying methods (a heated room vs a flat bin dryer) to reduce microbial load, while retaining the desirable physical and chemical properties of organic herbs.