Nutrex Hawaii gets USP certification on astaxanthin supplement

Cyanotech grows Heamatococcus pluvialis (the source of astaxanthin) and spirulina algae at an open pond facility on Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Many competitors produce astaxanthin in closed tube facilities. The company makes a claim to be “one of only a few producers worldwide who have mastered astaxanthin production in open ponds.”​

Mawae Morton, Nutrex Hawaii CEO, said the new certification will bolster the company’s quality message.

“The USP Verified Mark is an important verification to many of our consumers and shows that our products and manufacturing processes continue to meet high quality standards,” ​he said.

“Quality matters when it comes to choosing a supplement as not all supplements are created equal. With many different brands on the market, we believe it's important for consumers to choose a brand that has been verified by third-party organizations like USP,” ​Morton added.  

According to USP, the USP Dietary Supplements Verification Program is a voluntary program in which USP conducts an audit of manufacturing facilities, checks procedures and record-keeping to make sure that the facility as well as the products meets applicable USP standards. The USP Verified Mark indicates that the product contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amount, and that no harmful levels of specified contaminants are present.

The mark also indicates that the product is produced using safe, sanitary and well-controlled manufacturing practices according to the FDA and USP guidelines.

The USP certification joins others the company has on the product. BioAstin is also certified by Nutrasource’s IGEN program to be free of GMOs, gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), and verified as natural astaxanthin by the Natural Algae Astaxanthin Association (NAXA).