Due to recent positives for such drugs as ephedrine and caffeine, trainers are again reminded to use extreme caution and consult an Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) licensed veterinarian before administering any new or unknown products to horses -- such as so-called herbals or natural products
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The Rules of Racing state that any horse with a positive for a Class I, II, III drug, or a substance determined to be non-therapeutic, shall be declared ineligible to race in Ontario for a period of 90 days. As well, under rule changes introduced in January of 2008, a horse with a positive test amounts to an absolute liability offence for the trainer.
ORC Veterinarian Supervisor Dr. Bruce Duncan says horse people need to be aware of all the ingredients being administered to their animals.
“As part of a program of good medication control, trainers need to be vigilant and use caution with natural products. Simply checking the label is no guarantee of what is actually inside the product.”
Dr. Duncan pointed out that while natural health products are generally safe and have fewer side effects than traditional medications, they are not risk free.
“Depending on the source or the country of origin, there can be manufacturing problems -- such as contamination, incorrect dosage or contain ingredients not mentioned in labelling.”
According to Health Canada, Natural Health Products Regulations, which were enacted on January 1, 2004 under the authority of the Food and Drugs Act provide that:
“Natural health products,” often called "complementary" or "alternative" medicines, include:
• vitamins and minerals
• herbal remedies
• homeopathic medicines
• traditional medicines like traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic (East Indian) medicines
Further, these Regulations are comprised of the requirements concerning “manufacture, packaging, labelling, storage, importation, and distribution” of natural health products.
The racing community is reminded that a basic aspect of good medication control is ensuring that you only use products that are properly manufactured and clearly labelled, obtained from an authorized distributor, and only administered after consultation with an ORC licensed veterinarian.
By exercising diligence regarding the contents of such products, trainers will be more likely to know if use will lead to a positive test.
(ORC)
re: ORC warning/herbal
re: ORC warning/herbal remedies
I am writing this letter to you in response to the Natural Products Warning issued by the ORC and posted on your website yesterday. Our company, Black Magic flex-tite Inc (and Black Magic flex-tite Canada Inc), manufacture and distribute two(2) natural herbal equine products in Canada; BLACK MAGIC Liniment and STEP-UP Herbal Bronchial Supplement. We sell our products through reputable tack shops throughout the US and Canada.
As pointed out by Dr. Duncan, natural health products are generally safe and have fewer side effects than traditional [pharma] medications. However, he [Duncan] further points out the obvious risks. Owners and trainers alike have read this article and we've been deluged with calls and e-mails-understandably so.
Recently, for example, our STEP-UP product was tested by the ORC for caffeine. A trainer apparently told the ORC that STEP-UP was the only supplement given to the horse that tested positive. We immediately cooperated with the ORC investigator and our product was tested by Maxxam labs.
Sales were at a stand still with loyal customer/trainers awaiting the test results. Of course our product was eventually "vindicated" of any and all positive test results. The caffeine positive in question ironically came from a pharma application.
We go through great pains to ensure that the products we distribute are pure and uncontaminated in all respects- from selecting, analyzing and purchasing the herb(s), to controlled processing (integrated modern milling and blending in a controlled environment) to monitoring through continuous laboratory analysis. We meet stringent specifications for quality and cleanliness. In fact, all lot samples are kept for 5 years and can be traced through verification! We also use independant labs and consultants to guarantee complete analysis.
Testing includes organoleptic analysis, moisture, volatile oil content, heavy metals, microbiology and thin layer chromatography to name a few. Our blending facility is inspected annually for good manufacturing practices by the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and recently received a score of "Superior". Although not required, all of our herbs are rated pure by Kosher Certification Service and Organic by Quality Assurance International.
We need to get out the word that herbs are not "so called" as Dr. Duncan put it, and if manufactured and dispensed properly can be extremely beneficial and therapeutic to the equine athlete. They can be an important natural alternative to the drug culture we now live in.
Kindest Regards,
Howard Nemovitz, VP
Black Magic flex-tite Inc
Black Magic flex-tite Canada Inc