Standard Process Inc. Whole Food Supplements Since 1929.

Quality of Ingredients

Beet leaf, grown on the organic SP Farm

Just like any recipe, the quality of the ingredients you use affects the quality of the final product. Therefore, it's important to answer all these questions when evaluating a supplement and its effectiveness.

Where do the ingredients come from?

Manufacturers who grow many of their ingredients have the unique ability to control the quality of the ingredient from seed to supplement. Some manufacturers own certified organic farms to further enhance the quality of their ingredients.

When are ingredients processed?

When you buy a tomato, you inspect it for quality. You wouldn't knowingly buy one that was mushy and bruised. This same principle holds true for when ingredients are prime for harvest. Different foods reach their peak nutrient value during different times within the growing season. Pea vine, for example, is at its peak during the flowering stage.

Once harvested, food begins to lose its value. It is perishable like the tomato. If there is a delay of hours, days, or months from when an ingredient is harvested to when it's processed, many of its very delicate phytonutrients are lost.

Are the ingredient's vital factors retained?

Each ingredient has its own set of rules in relation to how to best extract and package its vital life. The manufacturing process needs to retain the vital nutrients within the ingredients. Too much heat will destroy enzymes and phytonutrients. The manufacturer should use a low-temperature, high-vacuum process to make sure that the ingredient's nutrients are preserved.