ADULTERATED HERB SUPPLEMENTS. An article this week in the New York Times quotes a DNA study that found that one third of herbal supplements tested from retail stores in the US and Canada did not contain the herbs listed on the labels. Others had fillers that were not disclosed (click here for article).

 

INGREDIENT SCREENING. We take great care at US Natural to make sure that an ingredient is exactly as specified in a formulation before we use it in a product. We validate its identity and potency by analysis—HPLC, HTLC or Infrared method.  We also make sure that it is not contaminated with harmful microbes, yeast, mold, and foreign particles. We do this by microbial testing and microscopy.

 

CROSS CONTAMINATION. The New York Times article speculated that cross contamination could be one reason that some ingredients that were found in  testing  were not listed on the labels. We guard against this by only mixing one formula at a time, thereby avoiding the possibility of airborne particles migrating from one mix to another. Our production spaces are also contained, with only one encapsulator or tablet press in each room.  This means that there is no powder from an adjacent machine that can travel to another. And before we use a tablet press or encapsulator, each is thoroughly cleaned from the previous production.

 

QUALITY GUARANTEE: Because of this validation of ingredients and our other Standard Operating Procedures, we guarantee the identity and potency of the botanicals we use in our products. If the label says Black Cohosh, Echinacea or Saw Palmetto, that is exactly what you will find in the tablets or capsules.