Testing for raw materials on the rise during COVID-19

Elan Sudberg of Garden Grove, California-based Alkemist Labs, talks with Jon Benninger, VP of the Health & Nutrition Network of for Informa Markets about how smaller-scale labs prepared for the impact of COVID-19.

May 27, 2020

While adulteration is a renewed concern for supplement makers as FDA scaling back inspections amid the global pandemic, what’s really on the rise is ingredient testing, as manufacturers look to qualify more suppliers and vendors in a bid for supply chain diversification.

That’s one of the takeaways from this episode of Catching Up with Jon Benninger, VP of the Health & Nutrition Network for Informa Markets, who talks with Elan Sudberg, CEO of Garden Grove, California-based Alkemist Labs. The company provides botanical identification services and does comprehensive analytical testing to meet food product safety, transportation and quality guidelines.

Sudberg talks about how smaller-scale labs like Alkemist prepared for the impact of COVID-19, and how the growth in testing due to companies trying to qualify more supply chain partners could have long-lasting effects on the natural products industry.

Among other highlights:

How this newfound desire of supplement and natural products makers to diversify their supply chain partners really began with the U.S.-China tariff war.
How the COVID-19 pandemic is another in a long line of crises in which consumers turn to health products when there’s global uncertainty.
Why transparency about testing and ingredient quality can be a marketing tool for companies looking to promote their brand, and justify the costs that go along with analysis.

To listen to this as a podcast, visit the Healthy Insider Podcast streaming pages at iTunes and Soundcloud.

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