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Alkemist Labs has a long track record of supporting, cajoling, pushing, leading, and otherwise endeavoring to help the industry confirm and demonstrate product quality. To that end, I’m especially excited to share recent developments with you.
We have added contaminant testing to our suite of services, alongside identity, potency, and hemp testing. We now have the instruments and expertise to screen for heavy metals and pesticides to the highest standards with the most sensitive equipment and test methods. New services available now include:
Heavy metals (elemental impurities): Growing plants can pick up contamination, including heavy metals in the soil and environment. Alkemist Labs’ capabilities enable them to satisfy both USP <561> and Prop 65 limits.
Pesticides: Although pesticides are considered a single category, it takes four separate analytical instrumental analyses to test for all those substances listed in USP <561>, which sets allowable limits.
Residual solvents: USP method <467>. Headspace GC/MS, the most sensitive and most precise instrument, allows detection of even extremely low levels of solvent contaminants.
Alkemist is also very pleased to announce we have once again achieved accreditation to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), this time adding accreditation for Pesticides and Heavy Metals per UPS-NF <561>.
Determination of Pesticide Content by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS in botanicals (roots and aerial parts), hemp, extracts, and finished dietary supplement products (List of Analytes same as USP-NF 561) (List of Analytes in Appendix A)
Determination of Heavy Metals Content by ICP-MS in aerial part, root, extract and crude hemp (List of Elements same as USP-NF 561) (List of Elements in Appendix A)
Make Your Test Results Public!
You know how I have been encouraging industry members to share their test results as a demonstration of quality for the last seven years? It just got easier. We recently unveiled a two-tiered program to help ingredient suppliers and finished product companies do just that, with several companies having signed up already. By focusing on botanical and fungal products, our program is unique in the industry spotlighting the quality and emphasizing consumer and supply chain transparency for plant and mushroom testing.
Level One: Next Generation Transparency™ Reports for Consumers
Participating companies display test results and Certificate of Analysis (C of A) reports in Next Generation Transparency™ (NGT) consumer-friendly formatting on their website for either B2B customers or consumers to see, and refresh them at least every six months. These simplified C of A’s are supplied in addition to the more technical versions our testing clients receive, but are easier for people without scientific training to understand. Each company in the program will be listed on the Alkemist website as a Next Generation Transparency™ partner, linked to their website.
Level Two: Alkemist Assured™ Seal
Brands wishing to further demonstrate their quality commitment and assurance may also apply for the use of the Alkemist Assured™ seal on product marketing materials, website, sales materials, etc. In addition to the requirements for the level one NGT program, level two requires that participant companies utilize Alkemist identity, potency, and contaminant testing services for raw material and blended ingredient quality. A minimum one-year commitment is required for each product in the program to be permitted to use the Alkemist Assured™ seal.
True Grace was the first brand to sign up with their Myco-RenewTM mushroom blend and three additional single mushroom products. They will gradually add others to the program as new lots are produced, in a manageable transition to NGT-level transparency. In fact, most of our clients are rolling out Alkemist Assured in a similar way, rather than waiting to have all products tested under our program.
The first ingredient supplier to enroll in the Alkemist Assured program is SUANFARMA, a life sciences company specializing in the development, production, and commercialization of ingredients for the pharmaceutical, veterinary, and nutraceutical industries.
The largest Next Generation Transparency participant is New Chapter, which is currently making C of A’s visible to retail customers.
Other charter participants include Beehive Botanicals for both their beehive derived finished products and raw materials such as royal jelly, bee pollen granules, and propolis concentrate;
Winged Women’s Wellness beginning with their Happy Start mood & stress powder; Lost Empire Herbs with their most popular pine pollen and tongkat ali products; and Quality of Life Labs for their AHCC Kinoko PlatinumTM finished product. More details about the program can be found here.
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