AstaReal USA, a subsidiary of Fuji Chemical Industries of Japan, is one of the pioneers of algae astaxanthin production. The company has invested heavily in the sector, including building a dedicated production facility in Moses Lake, WA. AstaReal was a founding member of the Natural Algae Astaxanthin Association. The company, which has always stressed the quality parameters of its ingredient, withdrew from NAXA in 2016 after reportedly concluding that there was uneven quality among the ingredients being offered by association members.
“With this highly valued acknowledgement as a USP Verified dietary ingredient, AstaReal has yet again set itself apart,” said Arun Nair, PhD, CEO of AstaReal USA. “At AstaReal, we are delighted to bring to our customers and business partners further assurance of quality and manufacturing integrity that comes with the USP verification.”
According to the company, the parameters it needed to meet on its AstaReal L10 ingredient to obtain the certification were: Meeting its label or certificate of analysis claims for identity, strength, purity and quality; that the brand’s dietary ingredient has been prepared under accepted manufacturing practices that help to ensure consistency in the quality of the ingredient from batch to batch; and finally, that AstaReal’s ingredient meets requirements for acceptable limits of contaminants.
“Complying with the full requirements of the USP Ingredient Verification Program for dietary ingredients is no easy task. It reflects the commitment that AstaReal has to demonstrate the quality of the dietary ingredient that it manufactures,” said John Atwater, PhD, senior director of the USP verification programs.