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With all the news lately about alleged excessive lead levels and questions about product safety and the FDA jumping in, Mannatech took no time in announcing that several of their products have been certified by NSF International an accredited testing laboratory.

The products, Ambrotose and Advanced Ambrotose Glyconutritional Supplements have had the purity of the products tested and reviewed and determined as being pure and safe.

NSF is a public health certification organization that works to review products and certify the efficacy of statements made on the labels. NSF reviews the contents of products and tests them to make sure that all ingredients present in the supplements are listed on the label and are safe for consumption. Rather than simply testing products, the NSF also requires visits to the manufacturing facility before they were complete the certification.

After careful evaluation of the two products, NSF found that they met requirements of the NSF/ANSI 173 Dietary Supplement Standard which is the only American National Standard for dietary supplements. Mannatech will be proudly displaying the NSF seal on their supplements and will put notice of the certification in all of their consumer product information material.

“NSF certification is just one part of the extraordinary quality and purity measures Mannatech adheres to throughout its product management process,” said Marika Berkley, vice president of global regulatory affairs and quality assurance. “In addition to selecting ingredients that meet our rigorous purity standards, Mannatech ensures all its manufacturers adhere to industry-standard GMPs. We continually monitor our manufacturing partners and conduct frequent in-house and independent tests of the efficacy and purity of our products.”

This is a great accomplishment for the company, and actually for any company, especially companies that sell dietary supplements. Dietary supplements are not as stringently tested and many are sold without having to meet any kind of safety requirements. Within the MLM industry there has been so much talk lately about high lead levels, especially with Herbalife which is being sued for dangerous lead levels in products. Just to stay in business, it might soon become necessary to have products tested and certified for safety.

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USANA is going to receive two Best of State awards from of course, the State of Utah, for best dietary supplements and best personal skin care. This is USANA’s fifth year as the winner for its nutritional line and the second consecutive year that the company’s skin care line, Sense, has been awarded with the honor.

The Best of State awards were created in 2003 to honor exceptional company’s and people in the state that have excelled in business and have been innovators in their fields. The judges are comprised of 100 distinguished business people who examine companies and critique among other things, business methods, processes, creativity, and each company’s contributions to the state and people of Utah.

USANA has set itself apart from its competition in part by voluntarily using the pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices model for its quality assurance program. The program ensures that all nutritional supplements are treated with the same precision and care, that pharmaceutical companies treat their products with. Many of the company’s products have also received NSF certification. The NSF is a 50 year old public health and safety company that develops national health and public safety standards. The Sense skin care line was honored for its nourishing natural ingredients as well as their exclusive patent pending formulas.

“We have always strived to set the benchmark for quality and safety within our industry,” said USANA President Dave Wentz. “It is gratifying to once again be independently recognized for our exceptional products, especially in a state with more than 100 dietary supplement companies.”

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USANA Health Sciences, Inc. received certification of six of its products through NSF International’s Certified for Sport program. NSF’s independent certification helps athletes make educated decisions about the safety of the dietary supplements they choose to take.

USANA’s Essentials (Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Mineral), Proflavonal 90, Procosa II, Active Calcium and Body Rox supplements are now approved to carry NSF’s trusted Certified for Sport mark. USANA also received Good Manufacturing Practices registration and dietary supplement certification in 2007 through NSF.

“The Certified for Sport program validates USANA’s guarantee that our nutritional products are complete, balanced, safe and effective,” said Dr. Tim Wood, USANA executive vice president of research and development. “This latest certification, as with all of our third-party testing, is based on regular product formulas—the same products that USANA customers take every day. Receiving this certification is just another step toward fulfilling our goal of providing supplements that everyday consumers and world-class athletes can trust.”

This news couldn’t have come at a better time for USANA who saw their stock drop 21% this past Friday after the company lowered its revenue and earnings per share guidance for the year.

Reports emerged last year accusing USANA of being a pyramid scheme, prompting the SEC to announce a informal inquiry (now closed with no findings) into the company. Since then though, shares of the health-care vitamin and supplement maker have fallen sharply.

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