What Makes a Quality Supplement? A Look Inside Our Standards and Testing
RidgeCrest is a family-owned company that has been in business for more than 25 years. Throughout that time, product quality and effectiveness have always been important to us. However, 20 years ago, issues like GMOs and pesticides were of little concern to either the consumer or the industry. In recent years, we have watched these standards along with others such as heavy metal testing, organic certifications, allergen-free, vegan, and more certifications become crucial to consumer demands as well as the survival of companies in the natural product industry. People want to know their products are of the highest quality and potency. The FDA has issued GMP's (Good Manufacturing Practices) that require each individual company within the supplement industry to show that they are producing the safest, purest and highest quality products possible through many different testing methods and standards that are, in many ways, in line with the pharmaceutical industry. At RidgeCrest Herbals, we have progressively taken the many steps necessary to meet regulatory standards and provide our customers with complete transparency. Many of these steps are extremely time-consuming and expensive. But, as the Quality Unit Manager, I take great pride in the strides RidgeCrest has made over in this direction. We get more and more questions from consumers everyday who want to know who we are and what we do to ensure the quality of our products. Below are some of the basic efforts and standards we follow - but keep in mind, our current (and future) efforts extend far beyond what is stated here.
Guarantees and Service: RidgeCrest Herbals has been recognized for having effective products since the beginning of our company’s history. In fact, we honor a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back on all of our products. Our customer service department, management team, and quality department are available to answer any questions you might have concerning our products or company.
Formulation and Ingredients: Many of our formulas have ancient combinations dating back thousands of years and involve multiple medicinal disciplines such as TCM, Ayurveda, Western Herbalism, etc. Our ingredients are selected based on important factors such as quality, location, supplier compatibility, etc. When at all possible, we select ingredients that have a story or a cause behind them, tracing them all the way to the farmers. Our products are non-GMO (non-certified) as are most botanicals, completely allergen free, and almost all are vegan friendly.
Manufacturing: All facilities that produce RidgeCrest products are carefully selected based on moral and regulatory standards and audited annually by qualified RidgeCrest employees. They are third-party GMP certified by USP, NSF, or UL and some have even more qualifying certifications.
Testing: Testing is generally done in two separate stages: Raw ingredients and finished product. Testing is done by our manufacturers that have laboratories, or are sent out to our favorite high-quality lab if in-house testing is not available. All RidgeCrest ingredient suppliers are prequalified by our manufacturers and are approved sources for providing quality ingredients. Raw ingredient testing requires that the manufacturer request an initial sample of the product from the supplier before ordering for identity testing if they are not on the prequalified list. If an ingredient passes identity testing, it is then ordered. Once a raw ingredient is received by the manufacturer, multiple samples from different areas in the container (top, middle, and bottom) are pulled for testing. All raw materials are first tested for identity via HPLC, HPTLC, and or microscopic ID, and sometimes other methods. A sample is also sent to the quality unit at RidgeCrest Herbals for organoleptic and sensory testing. The raw material is also tested for microbes and heavy metals and must meet all RidgeCrest specification requirements as well as the safety limits set by the FDA and applicable international requirements. Finished products are again tested by the manufacturer for microbes and total heavy metals before shipping to the RidgeCrest facility. When it arrives at our warehouse, RidgeCrest receives a finished product COA along with all of the raw ingredient COAs, and records for the entire manufacturing and testing of every batch produced. It includes each step from ingredient sourcing to production and finished product, and shipping and truck inspections. When the product arrives at the RidgeCrest facility, our quality unit performs a series of testing that includes organoleptic and sensory testing, comparison with past batches, capsule count, packaging integrity and more. We then create our own COA based on the approved manufacturer batching records and our own quality assurance methods and records designed specifically to provide our customers with complete transparency. Although not all lot numbers are immediately available online, an example of the RidgeCrest COA for each product can be found on our website. These are updated annually. A more current version for each and every lot can be provided upon request for any customer to review.
Product Storage: RidgeCrest collects and stores samples of each individual batch (or lot number) of every product we make so that we can reference, test, or compare any batch necessary. The FDA and other regulatory organizations have access to these storage supplies at any given time and are welcome to access samples for testing and review as desired. We have nothing to hide!
Shelf Stability Testing: Although ahead of the times, RidgeCrest has done testing to assure our 4-year shelf stability. Now it is slowly becoming standard practice to perform consistent testing on products to validate shelf stability. During 2016-2017, RidgeCrest implemented a shelf stability testing program to assure each product was being tested regularly and meets the 4-year shelf stability guarantee.
Qualified Employees: RidgeCrest Herbals invests a great deal of money and time into making sure our quality assurance employees are qualified, trained, and receive continuing education concerning regulatory and high-quality expectations and standards set by both the industry and regulatory organizations.
Membership organizations: RidgeCrest is an upstanding member of the NPA, UNPA, AHPA, and more. These organizations help keep members up-to-date on all FDA requirements, changes, industry trends, and testing requirements.
Forward Thinking: The industry continues to head in a positive direction. However, not all testing is available, ideal, or cost-effective. While RidgeCrest has a solid agenda of where we want to be in the future, not all of our transparency desires are yet realities. Some of these items on our potential goal list include comprehensive pesticide testing, organic ingredient sourcing, potency testing, regularly updating our website with batch testing results, and more.
Our number-one priority has always been to help. In order to do so, we go out of our way to assure that our products are not only effective but also the highest quality we can provide. If you have any questions concerning the quality or safety of our products, please feel free to contact me directly at brittini@rcherbals.com with further inquiries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supplement Quality
What makes a high-quality herbal supplement?
A high-quality herbal supplement starts with carefully sourced ingredients, responsible manufacturing practices, and thorough quality testing. Factors like ingredient identity testing, heavy metal testing, microbial testing, GMP-certified facilities, and transparency all help ensure a finished product meets strict quality standards.
How do I know if a supplement company is trustworthy?
Look for companies that are transparent about their sourcing, manufacturing practices, testing standards, and quality control process. Trustworthy supplement companies should be able to provide information about ingredient verification, safety testing, and product quality.
What does GMP mean for supplements?
GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices, which are quality standards established by the FDA for dietary supplement manufacturing. These guidelines help ensure supplements are consistently produced, tested, and held to specific quality requirements.
Are herbal supplements tested before they are sold?
Reputable herbal supplement companies test ingredients and finished products for quality and safety. Testing may include botanical identification, microbial testing, heavy metal testing, and other quality checks before products reach consumers.
Why is ingredient sourcing important for herbal supplements?
Where an ingredient comes from can influence its quality. Responsible sourcing considers factors like growing conditions, supplier standards, harvesting practices, and ingredient verification to help create a consistent, high-quality product.
What is a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for supplements?
A Certificate of Analysis, or COA, is a quality document that provides testing information for a supplement or ingredient. COAs may include details about identity testing, purity, and other quality standards.
Why do supplement companies test for heavy metals?
Plants naturally absorb minerals from the soil, which means testing is important to verify that herbal ingredients meet established safety standards. Heavy metal testing helps confirm that finished products meet quality requirements.
What is the difference between natural and high-quality supplements?
Natural does not automatically mean high quality. A quality supplement should combine thoughtfully selected ingredients with proper testing, responsible manufacturing, and transparency throughout the entire process.
How does RidgeCrest Herbals ensure supplement quality?
RidgeCrest Herbals focuses on careful ingredient selection, GMP-certified manufacturing, quality testing, batch documentation, and ongoing transparency to provide customers with products they can trust.
