Certification
The functional foods industry (including natural health and organic products) contributes about $300 billion to the global economy. With this immense role in maintaining the health and well-being of consumers, ISURA and its clients recognize the need for more accountability and innovation in the product, formulations, raw materials and services provided to the public.
For consumers, an ISURA certification seal means better products and an informed choice.
Certification Program
We provide seed-to-table certification services to growers, manufacturers and distributors. We build pride among customers and clients by ensuring that high quality, uncontaminated products are guaranteed at each stage of production. We also promote and facilitate environmentally responsible growing and manufacturing techniques to leave the smallest environmental footprint possible.
We use a broad range of analytical methods, such as mass spectrometry, Quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (Q-PCR) and other test methods to ensure quality.
ISURA also provides product quality, purity, potency, and label integrity testing to ensure products are non-GMO compliant and are tested for harmful pesticides, solvents, heavy metal contamination, fungicides, herbicides and free of other undesirable contaminants.
Our Certification Standard
ISURA’s Standard for NHPs is among the world’s highest. The threshold limits and other components of the ISURA Standard meet or exceed standards or recommendations for NHPs set by global and national organizations such as:
- AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists)
- CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
- CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition)
- EU (European Union)
- FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration)
- HC (Health Canada: Natural & Non-prescription Health Product Directorate)
- TGA (Australia: Therapeutic Goods Administration)
- USP (United States Pharmacopeia)
- WHO (World Health Organization)
Furthermore, ISURA’s analytical testing laboratories meet ISO 17025 laboratory and methodology standards, and ISURA’s quality management system is ISO 9001 certified.
ISURA laboratories lie at the core of the ISURA certification strategy. Its in-house test centre takes a comprehensive approach to product analyses, and utilizes a combination of state-of-the-art equipment, such as:
- Mass spectrometry (MS):
- Headspace gas chromatography
- Gas chromatography triple-quadrupole
- Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole
- Inductively-coupled plasma (ICP)
- Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction system (qPCR)
- DNA sequencer
- High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
- Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis)
- Infrared spectrometer (IR)
- Microplate spectrophotometer (Multiskanä GO)
- Microplate fluorometer and luminometer (Fluoroskan Ascentä FL)
These instruments enable the use of proven testing methods to identify and quantify potential contaminants as well as confirm the presence of specific active ingredients and excipients in product samples. Read More.
ISURA employs both targeted and un-targeted approaches to NHP analysis and profiling.
- Un-targeted profiling is a more general, less-sensitive analysis designed to identify a wide-range of unknown compounds or contaminants in a test sample. This approach looks for fraudulent adulterants, substitutions or contaminants not known to be present.
- In contrast, targeted analysis is more sensitive, and can verify and quantify specific active ingredients or contaminants in a test sample.
ISURA offers verification and certification to NHP distributors – for finished products, and to manufacturers – for raw materials, finished products, and responsible processing and handling practices.