| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | Let me give you an example, whey protein comes |
| Fact
45% of all supplements you buy are | | | | from milk. One way it is taken out of the milk keeps |
| defective in some way. Will the GMP change that? | | | | just about all the whey protein undamaged. Another |
| Until now there have been no laws requiring the label | | | | way to remove whey involves heat which is a |
| to accurately tell you what is actually in your bottle | | | | cheaper process. It keeps the cost down, but |
| of vitamins or supplements. So the government has | | | | destroys some of the protein. Labels will now be |
| begun requiring certification programs that must be | | | | required to reflect this difference in potency. Purity |
| verified by an independent lab on all supplements and | | | | means that the final product contains no |
| vitamins. The GMP or Good Manufacturing Practice | | | | contaminants, like heavy metals, insect parts or |
| certification will begin in 2009. This verifies quality | | | | melamine. |
| control, cleanliness, checking the identity and potency | | | | Authenticity means that the final product is what it |
| of ingredients, and testing of the final products for | | | | says it is, that a bottle of calcium really is calcium. |
| potency, purity and authenticity. | | | | Until now 10% of what you buy on the shelf |
| There will be plant inspections to observe cleanliness. | | | | doesn’t even have the main, active, ingredient |
| This was implemented due to truly filthy conditions | | | | in it. Sometimes it is just a powder or pill that looks |
| observed in equipment used to process and bottle | | | | like the real thing. One of the articles I read talked |
| supplements. I saw a picture of one that was | | | | about a companies problems with it’s product. |
| processing a powder with cob webs actually inside | | | | It was not what it was supposed to be. It turned |
| the machine’s duct work and powder | | | | out the independent lab that was doing the testing |
| everywhere, on the floor, handles and knobs. If the | | | | for the manufacturer was using visual testing |
| powder could get out so easily and spiders could get | | | | to tell if the product was pure or not. This entailed |
| in, then what insects etc were actually in the | | | | putting a special wavelength of light on the powder |
| powder? | | | | and if the product glowed then it was considered |
| Testing will be done on raw materials coming into the | | | | pure and authentic. What they didn’t take into |
| plant. This is due to so many instances of products | | | | consideration was that other powders also glow |
| coming from overseas that were not what they | | | | under that same light. While this was a cheaper test |
| were supposed to be. In order to make more money | | | | that helped to keep cost low, it did not do what it |
| the products were cut with other less | | | | was supposed to do! While the more expensive |
| expensive ingredients. In one instance China | | | | chemical testing easily showed the product had been |
| companies added Melamine to baby formula. Melamine | | | | "cut" with something else and was not pure or |
| is used to make the plastic place settings you see in | | | | authentic. |
| department stores. 13,000 children were hospitalized | | | | The upside to all this is obvious, that we will |
| after drinking the tainted baby formula. 22 companies | | | | really get what we are paying for. It will |
| were involved and the contaminated formula had | | | | provide the real health benefit it is supposed to and it |
| been sold all over the world. Chinese parents were in | | | | won’t make us sick from contaminates. But |
| a panic not knowing what was safe to feed their | | | | there is a down side. Foreign suppliers will have to |
| infants. Other examples of contaminants include | | | | export the real thing or we won’t buy it. With |
| heavy metals foune in 25% of products coming from | | | | all the super cheap products no longer available, the |
| both India and China. What makes this so dangerous | | | | demand and the price for the real thing will go up. |
| is that manufacturers are buying boat loads, | | | | Also manufacturers will have to replace outdated |
| literally, of product and just putting them into | | | | equipment, set up quality controls and in-house |
| capsules without any product testing. Whatever is in | | | | testing or hire independent labs. Some will not be able |
| the imported powder goes right into your capsules. | | | | to afford the updates and will go out of business. |
| Then there will also be testing of the final product for | | | | Even if the manufacturers are able to upgrade, they |
| potency, purity, and authenticity. Potency just means | | | | will still have to pass government testing in order to |
| that the amount listed on the label is actually the | | | | be certified and some will just not pass. Those |
| amount in the bottle. For example is there really 500 | | | | manufacturers that do survive will see a higher |
| mg of Vitamin C in each pill? Many times the making | | | | demand for their products, which will generate more |
| of the finished product uses heat which destroys | | | | sales to offset the added costs, but most likely will |
| some of the potency, but the label lists the original | | | | still pass the increased cost along to us, making our |
| potency of the raw product. | | | | supplements cost more. |