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When you are looking at herbs and nutritional supplements you see the terms Organic and GMP - which stands for Good Manufacturing Practices.   How do they affect the products you’re looking at? Which one is safest?

We are all fairly familiar with the term “organic”. We see it at the grocery store in the produce section and health food departments. But what makes a product organic? Basically the term “organic” refers to how the food or product is grown and manufactured or processed.

First all farms, producers and manufacturer’s must be certified by the Food & Drug Administration to claim that their product is organic. To receive the certification they must prove that they follow all the acceptable practices and meet the standards set up by the Food & Drug Administration. These standards include:

Organic farms and processors:                                            

• Preserve natural resources and biodiversity
• Support animal health and welfare
• Provide access to the outdoors so that animals can exercise their natural behaviors
• Only use approved materials
• Do not use genetically modified ingredients
• Receive annual onsite inspections
• Separate organic food from non-organic food
• Food growers – the land must be free of prohibited substances for at least 3 years prior to harvest

Manufacturers/Producers

• Only organic source product is used
• No preservatives, flavors or dyes
• Must follow NOP standards in labeling product

Farms and manufacturers producing organic products must undergo a yearly inspection to certify that they are meeting and following the required standards.

While all this is comforting, to know our food and herbs are grown without chemicals that may harm our health. It does not address the issue of safety and quality for herbal nutritional supplements. This is where Good Manufacturing Practices or GMP becomes important.

Good Manufacturing Practices for herbal supplements require the companies to follow strict manufacturing and testing guidelines similar to the pharmaceutical companies. Every step of the manufacturing process from the origin of the raw materials to the shipment out can be traced. Products are tested numerous times in in-house laboratories and independent labs. They are tested to identify the source materials, contaminants, quality and other factors.

Standards for GMP

• Validation of source materials and origin                                                                
  
• Validating equipment used
• Through testing: In House, Dual Testing, Independent Laboratories, 3^rd Party Testing
• Product tests include: identity, potency, quality, purity, consistency between batches, active constituents, contaminants and more
• Contaminants tested for include: heavy metals, pesticide residues and other contaminants

These companies must go through rigorous regular inspections to ensure that they are maintaining their certifications. Choosing to use product from a company that follows the strict GMP practices gives you the confidence that the product is safe and effective. This is why we at 1^st Chinese Herbs only offer products from companies that follow GMP practices.

To sum it up, when you are looking for herbal and nutritional supplements it is best to look for supplements that are made by companies that follow GMP practices. It is the best way to ensure that you are receiving a safe, potent and consistent product. If you are a fan of organic, then look for organic products produced by companies that follow GMP practices. It’s a win-win! 

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1st Chinese Herbs

Sharing the wealth of good health because you come first!