This has encouraged some suppliers to develop strategies whereby plant material, which will be processed for essential oils, are being transported many miles, even across continents. Adulteration at the production end of the chain usually will extend to processing plant material, which does not contain such high value components, or adding low value components, thus bulking out the oil. Such adulteration is usually easy to detect with a GLC trace. We have overcome this failing in the system by selling from the farmers directly to the prime user of the oils and, hence, a 'fair' price. This price reflects not only a basic income, but allows for price fluctuations caused by supply variability, improvements to production infrastructure, and crop failures, and stabilizes socio-economic development in these predominately agricultural based areas of the world.
Further adulteration occurs during the supply chain.
At any stage in the supply chain, adulteration may occur when blending of essential oils or adding of specific low value chemicals can increase the value of an oil tenfold. In conclusion, it is important to realize that the only effective way of establishing the integrity of an oil is to put in place batch numbering, along with traceable protocols, which can be audited periodically to ensure on-going safeguards. Further, it is important that the price of oils should reflect good financial returns to farmers who are able to meet market demands and, hence, eliminate the need to manipulate the products at source, or along its journey to the marketplace. Essential Oils, p63. Phoenix Natural Products analysis sheets for batch numbers 801315 and 833572.