Quality
Assurance
Behind
every good herbal line is a strong quality assurance team. Planetary Formulas
has one of the best teams in the industry, and follows Good Manufacturing Practices
that exceed those mandated by the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). To ensure that the herbs we use
are vital and potent, and to prevent any use of adulterants, every herb is checked
by a team of quality control specialists. This team is headed by a director who
holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, and includes staff trained in Chinese and Western
herbalism, microbiological assays, heavy metal screening, and analytical chemistry.
Herbs are first checked in the traditional organoleptic manner (assessment
of taste, smell, appearance, and relative quality) and are then subjected to a
variety of analytic tests. These include qualitative and quantitative analysis
using ultraviolet and infrared spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC), as well as atomic absorption (AA) screening for heavy metals, and full
microbiological testing to insure all herbs are free of pathogenic bacteria.
Whole
Herbs—Pure, Nontoxic Whole Herb Extracts
In order to maintain
the highest level of quality assurance, most botanicals used in Planetary Formulas
products are purchased in their whole form. Grinding or cutting increases the
surface area of the plant that is exposed to light, heat and air, and can cause
an herb to degrade. Purchasing whole herbs preserves the quality of the botanical
for the longest period of time. Unfortunately, many herbal companies purchase
their raw materials in powdered form. This makes identification and quality control
difficult, as many herbal powders share the same characteristics.
It
is equally important to carefully source herb extract material. Not all herbal
extracts are made the same! Planetary Formulas goes to great lengths to use only
extracts that have been manufactured without the use of toxic solvents. In contrast,
many of the most popular herbal extracts are prepared with toxic extracting solvents,
such as acetone and hexane, the residues of which then become toxic pollutants.
Some manufacturers choose to use these, as they are less expensive than other,
cleaner solvents. Use of nontoxic solvents is significantly more expensive, but
Planetary Formulas feels it is worth the price in order to have the purest product.
Additionally, a number of Planetary Formulas’ classic Chinese preparations
are cooked according to the traditional manner as outlined by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia
of the People’s Republic of China. This preserves the integrity of the traditional
system of Chinese herbalism that has evolved over the past 3200 years.
Trade
Associations and Codes of Ethics
Planetary Formulas has been a
member in good standing of the American Herbal Products Association
(AHPA) since 1985, and a member of the National
Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) since 1984. Membership in these two organizations
requires adherence to their respective Codes of Ethics and the TruLabel Program
of NNFA, which provides for independent oversight of
product quality through label registration and random testing. This sets Planetary
Formulas apart from mass market brands that do not support the quality control
initiatives of the primary herbal trade associations.