Yes. Prior to use in our products, each lot of our protein raw materials, such as hemp, whey, and pea protein, is analyzed to ensure that the protein material conforms to the melamine limits established by the United States Food & Drug Administration. Screening for melamine is just one of many crucial aspects of the extensive testing and quality benchmarks Integrative Therapeutics utilizes to vigorously assure product safety.
Integrative Therapeutics has always used an extensive sourcing program before a material is considered for use. This program is initiated with a formal vendor quality evaluation that requires vendors to provide critical regulatory, processing, and safety information. Some of the information required includes regulatory status, material source, processing steps, quality, purity, and stability. This information is then reviewed by our Quality Assurance department. Integrative Therapeutics does not work with any supplier that does not continue to meet its stringent requirements.
In the next phase of raw material sourcing, Integrative Therapeutics completes stringent testing on ingredient samples at its state-of-the-art, in-house laboratory. All materials are subject to testing for identity (confirming that it is indeed the raw material listed on the container), potency, purity, and freedom from microbiological contaminants. Regular testing of both the raw material and the finished products ensures consistency and safety throughout the product life cycle.
Public awareness of melamine was heightened in 2007-2008, when protein sources of several food and feed ingredients from China were found to be contaminated with melamine and its related crystal structures. Chemically described as an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, melamine is an adulterant that has been used to inflate the apparent protein content of products of inferior quality, so that inexpensive ingredients can pass for more expensive, concentrated proteins. Integrative Therapeutics’ vendor quality evaluation, combined with its extensive internal testing, ensures that every protein product complies with the FDA’s established limits for melamine levels while containing the precise amount of protein stated on the product label—for the optimal health and well-being of each individual who uses them.