You never have to worry about the quality of Nature's Sunshine products.
February 06, 2015 09:01 ET | Source: Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. LEHI, Utah, Feb. 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. ("NSP") (Nasdaq:NATR), one of the world's foremost manufacturers and distributors of premium quality health supplements in the natural health and wellness markets, proudly stands behind its 42-year legacy of quality manufacturing and product excellence. A plethora of health supplement vendors sell products in today's marketplace, but how do consumers really know what they are getting? Even in the regulated natural supplement industry, consumers can still find a vast spectrum of product quality. Fortunately, a few companies still thrive on being and providing the very best. NSP invests millions of dollars annually into Quality Assurance and Quality Control, which covers domestic and international vendor audits, cutting-edge equipment, qualified personnel, testing methods and lab materials, documentation review and more. "It's a great deal of money," says Gregory L. Probert, NSP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "But our reputation is worth every dollar we spend and every minute we take to make sure we offer our members the highest quality health supplements available." Nature's Sunshine has built a reputation for having the highest quality in the industry by consistently investing the time and resources to ensure that what's on the label is what's in the bottle. This starts with sourcing raw materials from trusted and verified vendors. Prior to using a vendor's materials, NSP scientists visit their facilities and conduct lengthy audits to ensure they are harvesting and processing plant material to Nature's Sunshine's high standards. This can include observing an actual harvest to ensure sustainability where necessary, touring offices and production space, viewing pertinent internal documents and even taking the time to inspect the facilities' sanitation procedures. No stone goes unturned in Nature's Sunshine's pursuit of quality. Superior quality also includes the manufacturing of Nature's Sunshine's own products in its state-of-the-art, climate controlled, 200,000 square-foot facility in Spanish Fork, Utah. NSP scientists use High Performance Liquid Chromatography, infra-red analysis, Thin Layer Chromatography, Gas Chromatography, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and other scientific methods and equipment to test raw materials—and finished products—to verify correct plant species and parts are present. NSP quality experts conduct a battery of tests to check for possible contaminants, including heavy metals, dirt or other impurities, yeast, mold, bacteria, pesticides, herbicides, radiation, etc. Analytical assays are used to verify vitamin and mineral content claims. All told, NSP has at its disposal over 600 different quality and purity tests it can use for materials and finished products in addition to the advanced analytical equipment and science experts to perform the job well. "Going to these great lengths as we manufacture and warehouse our own products sets us apart from most other companies," said Lynda Hammons, NSP Vice President of Global Quality and Regulatory Affairs. "I can't speak for companies that out-source their manufacturing, but I feel very confident about our products because we are right here observing and testing them EVERY step of the way." Throughout product development, manufacturing and finished product testing, NSP adheres to stringent quality standards known throughout the industry as Good Manufacturing Practices or GMPs. Additionally, in the Methods Lab, NSP boasts four PhDs who have developed some of their own methods for testing active constituents in natural materials. Many of these have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Of course, NSP shares these new, accurate testing methods with vendors on these occasions, in the hope that everyone working together can continue to improve quality throughout the industry. Nature's Sunshine is proud to have received certification from various independent organizations that revere quality. These include prestigious approval from the Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which is needed before a company may sell herbal products in Australia. NSP also holds certifications from the National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF), the International Aloe Science Council and Brunswick Laboratories of Southborough, Mass. In 2013, Nature's Sunshine was also selected as one of America's Most Trustworthy Companies by Forbes magazine, and was one of just four companies in the entire "pharmaceuticals" category to be so singled out. Its 42-year legacy of quality, service and integrity has made Nature's Sunshine a veritable benchmark in the health supplement industry. The Company remains completely committed to excellence in development, manufacturing, quality control and customer satisfaction as it offers safe, efficacious and innovative choices to people seeking wellness. -
