Ecuadorian Rainforest Publishes Guide to Ingredient Supplier Qualification

Ingredients supplier Ecuadorian Rainforest LLC (Belleville, NJ) has published a report advising manufacturers and ingredient brokers how best to ensure GMP compliance and quality ingredients when working with ingredient suppliers.

Titled “Five Ways Strategic Ingredient Supplier Qualification Can Save You Time, Money, and Headaches,” the guide is said to help manufacturers learn how to:

• Avoid the need to re-test and reject ingredient batches by learning what key points to discuss with suppliers at the beginning of contract negotiations

• Learn what to ask for when requesting a Certificate of Analysis

• Get critical information and test results more easily by looking for certain qualities in ingredient suppliers

• Use suppliers’ knowledge of seasonal variations and harvest conditions to purchase strategically and reduce testing, thus saving time and money

• Learn about the common quality-control problems of four popular botanicals specifically (bilberry, boldo, noni, and Irvingia gabonensis) and learn what to look for when purchasing these botanicals.

The company says that following these five tips can make the ingredient testing and procurement process go more smoothly, ultimately saving time and money for manufacturers who “can avoid costly re-testing of ingredients and ingredient batch rejection.”

“Many of the manufacturers we work with are frustrated with the expenses and production delays that arise when working with suppliers who don’t do their homework to help manufacturers meet GMPs,” stated the company’s vice president Steve Siegel. “Problems like improper ingredient testing and incomplete ingredient documentation have made it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to keep production running smoothly.”

Ecuadorian Rainforest partner labs Advanced Laboratories Inc. (Smithfield, NC) and Alkemists Lab (Costa Mesa, CA) contributed insights for the guide’s sections on ingredient testing, which in large part is where many of the challenges lie in terms of securing ingredients while complying with GMPs, says Ecuadorian Rainforest.