EFSA’s Compendium of Botanicals is an open-source database of plant species for which literature reports substances potentially relevant to safety. EFSA identifies April 2025 as the latest version, with the page reviewed in January 2026.

Its value is not an automatic verdict. Inclusion signals that due diligence should investigate plant part, chemotype, extraction, markers, contaminants, dose, exposure and vulnerable populations.

In industrial scouting, the Compendium can become the first layer of a risk matrix: reported substance, required analytical method, supplier specification, toxicological literature and regulatory status in target markets.

EFSA explains that the database does not replace assessment of a specific preparation and has no autonomous regulatory force. Treating it as a blacklist produces simple but technically misleading conclusions.

Why it matters

Used correctly, the Compendium improves early scouting and helps define analytes, specifications, limits and supplier questions.

Evidence limit

The database is a hazard-identification tool without autonomous regulatory force. Plant part, extraction, composition, dose and exposure remain decisive.

Editorial note. This content is intended for industry professionals. It does not constitute medical advice, therapeutic guidance or regulatory advice. Read our editorial method.

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