PEL Lab

In 2008, we made the decision to build a state of the art laboratory in our home office. Having our own independent lab allows us to test each and every ingredient from our vendors, to guarantee not only the quality of ingredients, but purity from toxins, lead, and other heavy metals. If, during our testing, we conclude the ingredients aren’t as pure and clean as we’d like, we find other raw material vendors that can supply us with the quality we are looking for.

In order to help to ensure our lab’s continued accuracy,  we send random samples to third party labs to confirm our results. We also participate in a federal government program wherein we analyze blind samples and submit our results to a government laboratory. They then check our results and report their findings to us. We have never been outside the range of exemplary accuracy.

A brief synopsis of our assay capacities are as follows:

Material Identification

Nothing is more important to quality than using the right raw materials. To assure the identity of every ingredient in our products, we employ Thin Layer Chromotography (TLC) which identifies a substance when compared to a known sample of that same substance. The sample will then undergo further confirmation using Ultraviolet Spectrometry (UVS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

Potency Confirmation

Without knowing an ingredient’s potency, it is impossible to determine how much should be used. To measure the nutritional activity of each ingredient, we use High Performance Liquid Chromotography (HPLC).

Mineral and Heavy Metal Quantification

Just as minerals are vital nutrients, heavy metals are “mineral-like” substances we wish to avoid. Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (with microwave digestion) reveals the levels of every mineral, trace element and heavy metal in a given material. It is the same process the State of California uses to measure minerals and metals for the purpose of enforcing Proposition 65.

Yeast, Molds, Bacteria

Many raw materials and all finished products must be tested for the presence of micro-organisms. Because these tests are highly specialized, we have them performed at third party labs.

Animal Testing

We absolutely do not do any animal testing, whatsoever.