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Now Foods -QUALITY- High Standards and Attention to Detail |
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HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
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Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
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GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC)
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Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
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GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETY (GC/MS)
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Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
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FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (FTIR)
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Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
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Now Foods -QUALITY- High Standards and Attention to Detail
|
Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
|
HIGH STANDARDS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL
|
Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
|
HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
|
Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
|
ULTRAVIOLET/VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOGRAPHY (UV/VIS)
|
Darrell Miller | 12/27/05 |
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:08 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
HPLC is used to examine and verify potency claims on finished products and/or raw materials. For example, we use HPLC to measure the amount of active SAMe ion in our SAMe supplements, or the parthenolide content in organic feverfew herb. HPLC allows scientists to target and separate specific active ingredients from a solution by passing it through a sophisticated separation column combined with a mobile phase. The separated ingredients are then measured using ultraviolet light or other detection methods. Development of HPLC methods is a complex and precise science involving significant cost.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:09 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC)
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC)
Gas Chromatography is used to separate complex mixtures of volatile compounds into individual components through specific analytical columns combined with carry gas. GC is used in many applications, including confirmation of volatile components in pure essential oils, nutritional oils, fragrances, etc., as well as the quantitation of fatty acids in plant seed oils.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:09 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETY (GC/MS)
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETY (GC/MS)
This cutting edge technology uses mass spectrometric detection in conjunction with gas chromatography. NOW® Foods mass spectrometer on GC is a highly sensitive ion trap detector (ITD). In this instrument, the eluted sample from GC is first ionized by electron impact or chemical method. Then the trapped ions are precisely ejected into an electron multiplier detector, and reported in mass-to-charge ratio. GC/MS has been used for the identification of compounds in natural and biological systems, such as characterization of unsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, the odor and flavor components of various products, and identification of pollutants such as pesticides.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:10 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (FTIR)
FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (FTIR)
FTIR analysis passes a beam of infrared light through a sample. As the beam shines on the sample substance, the sample absorbs the energy from the beam at certain frequencies. The frequencies at which the sample absorbs energy are charted, and the absorption spectrum is recorded. Analyzing this spectrum and/or comparing it to the spectrum of known standards can reveal the identity and purity of the sample. Poor FTIR results culminate in the rejection of poor lots of raw materials.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:00 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Now Foods -QUALITY- High Standards and Attention to Detail
QUALITY “High Standards and Attention to Detail”
- Family Owned and Operated since 1968
- In-House Microbiology Lab
- Member-NNFA and AHPA
- “A” Certified GMP Manufacturer
- 203,000 Square Foot Manufacturing Packaging Facility
As you shop for dietary supplements you’re faced with an almost dizzying array of choices. Naturally, every product claims to be this, that and the other. But you’ve heard the stories in the media of products that don’t live up to their claims. So how do you know who’s telling the truth? Perhaps a better gauge of a product’s quality is the manufacturer and their history. Do they have a legacy of producing quality goods? How long have they been in business? Is their track record good or do they have a history of product recalls and bad press? If you’re responsible for your family’s health and well-being, it pays to do your homework when it comes to the products you purchase for them. NOW® Foods has been manufacturing dietary supplements and whole foods for 35 years.
Companies that thrive and continue to grow for this long don’t do so because they produce poor quality products. They do so by maintaining extremely high standards and paying special attention to every detail, which is the secret to product quality. At NOW® Foods, these high standards and attention to detail are evident in every aspect of our operations, from receiving to production to finished goods, just as they have been for 35 years. You’re committed to buying only the best for your family, and we’re committed to supplying only the best for our customers.
Quality products are made using the highest quality ingredients. NOW Foods purchases raw materials from only the most reputable vendors, who are required to provide detailed specification sheets and lot-specific certificates of analysis for every shipment we receive. These documents provide information on the quality of the raw material and the various analyses used to verify that quality. Shipments that do not meet our quality standards are sent back to the manufacturer with a point by point report card of why the shipment was refused. We simply don’t just accept every shipment that’s delivered to our dock – no ingredient gets a free pass into our production facility. In addition, we also perform random vendor audits throughout each year to ensure that they’re meeting our stringent quality standards. NOW ® Foods is always vigilant when it comes to quality, just as you are. Another way we maintain high quality standards is by choosing to buy and incorporate registered and/or trademarked ingredients into our products. Each of these ingredients are exclusively produced by a company that owns proprietary manufacturing rights and licenses selected companies like NOW® to use these top quality ingredients in their products.
These registered/trademarked ingredients must undergo even more rigorous analysis and controls than other ingredients, and so offer additional assurance that products containing them are properly manufactured and labeled. Additionally, to maintain the integrity of their ingredient’s reputation, the trademark owner will independently test finished products from manufacturers to verify the quality meets their standards and the label claim of the company licensed to use it. You may be familiar with some of the trademarked ingredient NOW® uses such as, Ester-C® vitamin C, Chromemate® Chromium and L-Carnipure® Carnitine.
Scientific analysis of ingredients is extremely important to ensure the integrity of any dietary supplement. NOW Foods has made substantial investments in the development, construction and staffing of numerous inhouse laboratories, including an advanced instrumental analysis laboratory, a “wet lab” and a state-of-the-art microbiology lab. This saves us the time and expense of having to send samples out to commercial labs for analysis. While we use independent labs to verify our in-house test results, our capabilities allow us greater control over product quality and quicker approval of raw material shipments for production, which means fresher products for consumers. Our investment ensures that NOW® will be able to meet ever-increasing demands for accurate product analysis and outstanding product quality. NOW® is unique in the industry in that we annually spend more on Quality Assurance & Control than we do on Marketing and Advertising combined. What good is a lab without qualified people? NOW® employs an expert team of highly qualified scientists and technicians, including four Ph.D.’s. They’re constantly working to develop new and improved analytical methods, and their efforts contribute not only to our product quality but that of the entire industry as well.
This is all great, you say, but what about your facility and the equipment you use to manufacture products? Our 203,000 square foot facility is designed and built to standards that exceed food-packaging guidelines. It supports pharmaceutical-grade operations, which greatly enhances our ability to produce the highest quality products quickly. All this means fresher, more effective products on store shelves for consumers. NOW® Foods is an ‘A’ rated GMP-certified manufacturer, one of the first companies in the industry to attain GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification. We’re also certified by QAI (Quality Assurance International) as an organic manufacturer. As consumers become increasingly demanding of supplement quality and safety, NOW® is ready to meet this demand with sound science and state-of-the-art research, manufacturing, and packaging capabilities. We are certain that our efforts to consistently maintain the highest product quality will help make your natural product purchasing decisions easier.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:05 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: HIGH STANDARDS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL
HIGH STANDARDS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL
NOW’s state-of-the-art analytical laboratory boasts some of the most accurate and efficient chemical analysis equipment currently available. In addition to the equipment detailed at right, NOW scientists also utilize Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, which allows us to accurately identify and analyze minerals and trace elements. All of these machines significantly contribute to our high product quality standards.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:08 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPLC)
HPLC is used to examine and verify potency claims on finished products and/or raw materials. For example, we use HPLC to measure the amount of active SAMe ion in our SAMe supplements, or the parthenolide content in organic feverfew herb. HPLC allows scientists to target and separate specific active ingredients from a solution by passing it through a sophisticated separation column combined with a mobile phase. The separated ingredients are then measured using ultraviolet light or other detection methods. Development of HPLC methods is a complex and precise science involving significant cost.
Date:
December 27, 2005 09:10 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: ULTRAVIOLET/VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOGRAPHY (UV/VIS)
ULTRAVIOLET/VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOGRAPHY (UV/VIS)
UV/VIS quantitation is based on the amount of light absorbed by the target active ingredient at a particular wavelength in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum. This technique is used in specific instances to quantify active ingredients in finished products and/or raw materials.
