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The nutritional industry is now a $30 billion dollar per year industry. For years now, the sales of nutritional supplements has enjoyed double digit growth, even in the midst of rising gas prices and economic uncertainty. With that kind of track record, it's no wonder that everyone and their brother is wanting to throw their hats in the ring and cash in on this growing market. New nutritional companies are popping up everywhere. However, with this muddying of the waters comes a fuzziness of the lines between high quality supplements and low-budget knock-offs.
What is there about the supplements that you use in your practice that will compel Clients to buy from you instead of from a health food store? What forms YOUR basis of trust in the supplements you are providing to the Clients who trust you? While probably most of the OTC supplement lines do not adhere to strict quality standards, this same dichotomy between high and low quality also exists in the professional lines because no one is imposing any standards, and so it is up to each company's executives to decide at what level of quality they will operate. While everyone claims the "best" quality, there is really no way to be sure unless you know what questions to ask. It is easy for any company to toot their own horns when it comes to quality, but inspections by third-party organizations like the National Nutritional Foods Assocation (NNFA), National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), and the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) is one area where true quality is defined. Below is a little more about Metagenics' quality standards from our most current edition of Meta-eNews. Of course, there is only so much that can be included in the limited space of a small newsletter, and the information related to quality is a broad subject.
All Nutritional Products Are NOT Created Equal
Sure—they may look the same or even taste the same, and the labels are likely to contain similar (if not identical) lists of key ingredients. Does this mean that they are all the same? Certainly not! In fact, numerous manufacturers state that their products meet or exceed all GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, but do they really? It appears that the only objective way to determine the credibility of a manufacturer’s GMP status is to see its certification. Why go through all that trouble? Because end-products from questionable, non-GMP-certified manufacturing processes may lead to less safe and less effective supplements for your Clients. Therefore, be sure to distinguish the products made by GMP-certified manufacturers, such as Metagenics, Inc., from the rest!
5 Markers of Quality in a Nutritional Supplement Company
Keep in mind that GMP deals with designing, building, and implementing advanced controls into the system to reduce the chance of:
- Product contamination
- Mix-ups
- Errors
Would you place your trust in any product—especially a nutritional supplement—that is made without these controls? Probably not. Listed below are the 5 markers of quality to look for in manufacturers of nutraceuticals:
(1) GMP-Certified Manufacturing Facilities.
High quality nutritional supplements are often manufactured in plants inspected and certified by organizations, such as:
- National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)
- National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA)
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Did you know that Metagenics is GMP-certified by ALL THREE of these highly recognized, third-party organizations? Please note that obtaining GMP certification is very expensive—which is why most nutritional supplement manufacturers are not officially GMP-certified. But make no mistake—no amount of funds can grant a GMP certification unless the company successfully meets the rigorous standards of all GMP requirements!
(2) Comprehensive Scientific Evaluation of Ingredients.
Ingredient selection makes the biggest
difference in the quality of final product. Bargain
nutritional supplements are often made with low-cost
ingredients—forms or types of nutrients that may
not be most efficacious. So, how do you VERIFY
the quality of ingredients? The required comprehensive
scientific evaluation of ingredients is available only
through sophisticated scientific analysis performed
at a hi-tech laboratory. Unfortunately, only
few companies like Metagenics have invested the resources
to implement such testing. Additionally, Metagenics
applies the science of nutrigenomics to ingredient selection
and product formulation.
(3) Comprehensive Safety Reviews.
Simply selecting and utilizing ingredients based on potency are not enough. In fact, thorough safety reviews of ingredients are crucial to high quality nutritional supplements. Why? Because spending time and money to conduct adequate literature reviews for safety, or having qualified professionals perform safety reviews can have positive, long-term effects on the health of your Clients.
(4) Human Clinical Evaluations.
Nothing compares to human clinical assessment for demonstrating the potential effectiveness of nutritional products. The ultimate measure of quality is safety and effectiveness, which can be evaluated in human clinical studies. Moreover, these clinical investigations also reveal whether the products are characterized by adverse taste or tolerance concerns. In fact, Metagenics continues to devote significant resources to clinical research, demonstrating a deep commitment to Client safety and improved health.
(5) Scientific Staff and Facilities.
True quality cannot be achieved without the expertise of truly qualified scientific staff. These dedicated individuals excel at what they do and help establish the safety and effectiveness of nutritional products for your Clients. At Metagenics, our sophisticated research facilities are governed by a top-notch scientific staff with over 200 years of combined professional experience in multiple disciplines, including:
- Genomics
- Proteomics
- Molecular Biology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
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- Ethnobotany
- Food Technology
- Formulation Chemistry
- Clinical Research
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Very few nutraceutical companies allocate the resources for an in-house staff of this caliber, as well as the state-of-the-art facilities to conduct research.
Metagenics Offers a Solid Basis for Trust
The Metagenics Advantage:
- Triple-certified GMP manufacturing: To provide more consistent, dependable safety and effectiveness by avoiding
contamination, mix-ups, and errors
- Better formulation and ingredient selection: To obtain better results through better science
- Clinical research: To help you recommend products to your Clients with confidence
- Highest level of product liability insurance in the nutraceutical industry: To help protect you
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