Gaia Herbs, a leading grower and manufacturer of natural and organic herbal products, announced today its membership in the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), an association of dietary supplement and functional food companies that share a commitment to provide consumers with natural health products of superior quality, benefit and reliability. New members in the organization are required to go through an evaluation process and are then accepted only by unanimous vote by all its members. The membership took affect on June 1, 2009.
Greg Cumberford, Gaia Herbs’ Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, remarked, “We are pleased to be counted among the leading dietary supplement companies in the global natural products industry with the announcement of this membership. Gaia’s mission aligns nicely with UNPA’s objectives and we are looking forward to advancing the cause of quality assurance and scientific validation within a certified organic and sustainable framework that achieves real regulatory compliance.”
According to Loren Israelsen, Executive Director of UNPA, “It is an honor to be allied with ‘herbal pioneer’ Gaia Herbs, who has demonstrated remarkable leadership as a vertically integrated company through its quality and accountability from seed to shelf. As consumers continue to look for purity and efficacy in their supplements, our organization’s strategic partnerships and resulting strength become critical in shaping the values of today’s world.”
Founded by Loren Israelsen, the United Natural Products Alliance is an international organization that spans the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Its core mission is to help assure the full and proper implementation and enforcement of DSHEA. This includes a suite of laws and regulations that support DSHEA, such as GMP regulations, adverse event reporting systems, analytical method development, control of steroids masquerading as supplements and international quality management protocols. The membership is limited to 30 full members and 8 analytical lab members.
Gaia Herbs is a certified organic grower and nationally-branded manufacturer of liquid herbal extracts based in Western North Carolina. The company cultivates 250 acres of medicinal herbs which, along with all operations at its 36,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, are organically certified each year by Oregon Tilth under USDA’s National Organic Program. Gaia Herbs is a member of the Organic Trade Association, the Natural Products Association, the American Herbal Products Association, United Plant Savers, the United Natural Products Alliance and the American Herbal Phamacopoeia plus other local organizations. Gaia Herbs’ line of all-natural herbal products is carried by independent health food retailers and co-ops, national and regional natural products retail chains, and healthcare professionals.