First, we need to check on the criterias below:
1. The background of the founder, the mission and vission of the founder.
2. Stamp of Approval
- One way to tell a quality vitamin or mineral product is to look for the Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) for pharmaceutical level.
- Vitamins or minerals manufacturers that gained Drug Establishment Registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA is taking steps to ensure that their Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are followed by the manufacturers.
3. Must refer to the book named 'Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements' by Lyle MacWilliam. It compares over 1,500 nutritional products in North America to an independent nutritional benchmark developed from the individual recommendations of 12 recognized nutritional authorities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Based on the above-mentioned criterias, i would say USANA Health Science have met all 3.
1. Meet the Founder
Dr. Myron Wentz, internationally recognized microbiologist, immunologist, and pioneer in the development of human cell culture technology and infectious disease diagnoses, holds a bachelor's degree in biology from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, a master's degree in microbiology from the University of North Dakota, and a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Joining a pathology group in Peoria, Illinois, Dr. Wentz served as infectious diseases specialist and directed the microbiology and immunology laboratories for three hospitals in the Peoria area. After three years of clinical experience, he saw an opportunity to make a deeper contribution to medical science by developing much-needed tests for viral diseases.
Dr. Wentz launched Gull Laboratories as a one-man operation in 1974. By June of 1977, several of his viral diagnostic assays were FDA-approved and ready for marketing to hospitals and clinical laboratories. He developed the first commercially available test for diagnosing infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. Dr. Wentz sold his controlling interests in Gull Laboratories in 1992 and founded USANA Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art manufacturer of nutritional supplements, foods, and personal-care products.
Even though his businesses have been extremely successful, Dr. Wentz first and foremost considers himself to be a scientist, not a businessman. Nonetheless, Dr. Wentz' business acumen has been recognized through a presidential appointment as an advisor to the Small Business Administration and as a 2003 recipient of the Utah Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
In addition to Gull Laboratories and USANA Health Sciences, Dr. Wentz created Sanoviv Medical Institute, a holistic medical facility with full hospital accreditation located in Baja California. In recent years Dr. Wentz has turned his attention to charitable and humanitarian concerns, founding the Wentz Medical Centre and Laboratory in Uganda and the Wentz Medical Centre in Cambodia to serve children in those countries orphaned by diseases such as malaria and HIV. In 2006 Dr. Wentz was a recipient of the Children's Champion Award, presented by the Children's Hunger Fund, for which he travels worldwide as a medical missionary. In 2007 Dr. Wentz was honored with the Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences.
While Dr. Wentz' primary focus is on health and disease prevention, his love for music and his generosity have made possible the Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
2. A Commitment to Strict Manufacturing StandardsThe Food and Drug Administration requires that dietary supplement manufacturers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for dietary supplements (21 CFR, part 111). USANA, however, voluntarily follows the more stringent GMP for pharmaceuticals as the basis for its quality assurance program, which regulates virtually every aspect of manufacturing, including facility design and maintenance, raw material specification and control, supplier validation, product design and testing, and more. This voluntary adherence to GMP for pharmaceuticals means that USANA treats nutritional supplements with the same care that goes into the manufacturing of over-the-counter products.
In addition, USANA has acquired Drug Establishment Registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This means USANA operates an FDA-registered facility, following the FDA’s highest possible standard for manufacturers.
Also, where applicable, USANA voluntarily tests its supplements to make sure they meet trusted United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards and specifications for potency, uniformity, and disintegration.
In several countries around the world, supplements are more highly regulated than in the United States. In Australia, for example, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) mandates that manufacturers follow a set of GMP identical to pharmaceutical GMP in the United States. As an Australian supplier, USANA is regularly inspected and audited by the TGA to ensure that their GMP standards are met.
Aside from meeting the criteria of regular TGA audits, USANA has voluntarily obtained additional third-party verification of GMP status. Since 2006, USANA’s Salt Lake City, Utah, manufacturing facility has been certified to be in compliance with NSF/ANSI Dietary Supplement GMP requirements set forth by NSF International. According to NSF, "GMP registration reflects [a] continued commitment to ensuring quality and satisfaction and gives companies confidence that their organization operates in conformance to established GMP."
It is USANA's mission to develop and provide the highest-quality, science-based products. By rigorously testing each product for potency and purity and by following pharmaceutical GMP, USANA sets the standard for excellence in dietary supplement manufacturing. Once again, this is proof that USANA products are truly Nutritionals You Can Trust.
3. The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements recently awarded USANA its highest distinction possible—the NutriSearch Gold Medal of Achievement™—and selected USANA as its Editor’s Choice.
“With over 1,500 nutritional supplements evaluated, USANA’s Essentials™ continue to set the gold standard, earning the NutriSearch Gold Medal of Achievement™ for proven product excellence.”
—Lyle MacWilliam, BSc, MSc, FP
Former Canadian Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly for British Columbia
