Hops Flowers

Humulus lupulus L.

Powder

Tests done on every batch

Manufacturers determine the amount and types of testing done on raw ingredients. Nature’s Way goes above and beyond industry standards with extensive testing on every batch of ingredients before they even go into production.

Identification

Verifying each botanical genus, species, and plant part ensures your product contains the exact ingredient listed in the Supplement Facts panel. High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) testing provides a detailed chemical fingerprint of the ingredient for comparison against certified botanical reference standards. HPTLC testing is among the best, most reliable methods for authenticating raw materials.

Microbiological contaminants

Nature’s Way tests every ingredient for microbial contaminants that can break down ingredients, decrease potency, and degrade a product’s quality. Verifying that ingredients meet regulatory standards for microorganisms like bacteria, molds, and yeasts helps ensure a safe and compliant product.

Heavy metals

Every ingredient is tested to meet regulatory standards for heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. Testing for trace metal levels ensures ingredients comply with protective laws like California’s Proposition 65, and that the supplement won’t expose you to harmful levels of chemicals.

Tests performed periodically

Nature’s Way performs additional tests to ensure every supplier’s testing meets federal regulatory and our own high standards. Extra testing is especially critical for monitoring higher-risk botanicals.

Pesticides

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets safety limits, known as tolerances, for residual pesticides, and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires botanical suppliers to comply. Nature’s Way verifies compliance with these tolerances through annual or periodic in-house testing of raw materials following the standards outlined in USP <561> to ensure safety and quality.

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by specific mold and fungi species that grow on crops and botanicals, so it’s important to know your products are tested for them. Aflatoxin qualification testing at Nature’s Way ensures our suppliers’ testing is reliable and that the ingredients meet the required qualifications.

The ingredient

Hops are perennials, regrowing each spring from underground rhizomes and producing annual vines that can grow up to 25 feet tall. The plants’ European origins trace back to at least 736 A.D. in Bavaria; American origins stem from 1648, when it was brought over to make beer.

Hop plants are either male or female, with females producing the cones used in brewing, and males producing pollen. The cones contain a yellow powder filled with acids and oils that provide flavor and aroma, which brewers cultivate to create a seemingly endless array of beer tastes and styles.

Historically, hops were picked by hand, but modern farms use mechanical harvesters to strip cones from the vines. After harvesting, cones are dried in kilns, then pelletized and vacuum-sealed for storage and sale.

Parts used: