A high quality product without the
impurities or questionable ingredients found in some of the patent formulas
available.
Formulas which address symptom patterns seen in modern clinical practice.
Formulas which are easy to take and allow for high patient compliance.
Golden Flower Chinese Herb tablets are made domestically with high quality ingredients. Spring Wind has a unique lot-based program to test the most commonly used herbs for harmful chemical contaminants. Herbs are purchased in small quantities to insure freshness since Spring Wind is commitment to an uncompromising standard of quality. Herbs that are free of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides are clearly identified on the label. Equally important, each herb is selected for correct genus, species and plant part. Because of the expertise of the staff at Spring Wind Herbs, you can be certain that the herbs are correctly identified. Golden Flower Chinese Herbs carries the entire line of Spring Wind brand raw herbs.
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Extra-Concentrated (7.5 to 1) Formulas |
Beginning with the most advanced protocol for herb identification, this 5-step process ensures that you receive the highest quality herb tablets available.
1. Herb Selection and Identification
Since the beginning of the aristolochic acid controversy, proper herb identification has become a major issue for herbalists and manufacturers alike. Many of the aristolochic acid-related problems that occurred in the industry could have been avoided if the herbs had been properly identified before formulation. The herb identification protocol we use was instituted by Andy Ellis in 1995 and was the key for Golden Flower avoiding misidentification problems.
The ID protocol is in a constant state of upgrade. We are proud to announce the addition of a staff botanist at the manufacturing site, who will help ensure quality and accuracy. Some of the features of the best, most accurate herb identification protocol in the industry include:
- Expert macroscopic inspection to weed out common substitutes
- Microscopic examination to ascertain species (and sometimes even variety) authenticity
- TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography), a chemical “fingerprint” unique to each species
2. Herbs Are Cooked
After each herb had been properly identified they are thoroughly cleaned and prepared. They are picked through, washed and agitated according to the specific protocol of each herb. After all foreign materials are meticulously removed the ingredients are assembled and cooked together in a vat called a rotary extractor. Fifty percent more herbs than our standard formulations are added to the EC (Extra-Concentrated) formulas to help them achieve a potent 7.5:1 concentration. A continuous rotary motion thoroughly mixes the decoction liquid with strict control of the extraction temperature and timing. This unique extractor includes an essential oil retrieval system for which our manufacturer holds the patent. This retrieval system allows the vat to capture and preserve the volatile oils, which are reintroduced later in the flow coater phase.
3. Evaporation
Once extraction is complete, a valve is opened in the rotary extractor and the decoction flows directly into a state-of-the-art low temperature vacuum evaporation system. This low temperature system eliminates the damaging effects that high temperatures can have on formula potency.
4. Granulation & Tableting
Still in its airtight chamber, there is a 0% chance of cross-contamination as the flow coater (granulator) sprays the concentrate onto minute particles of base material and dries them to create concentrated granules. In the vast majority of our formulas, the base material consists of powdered herbs from the ingredients of the formulas themselves. Occasionally, when the formula has an especially cloying nature, non-GMO potato starch is used. Potato starch is chosen because it is hypoallergenic, unlike the cornstarch commonly used by other processing facilities. The granules are later precisely measured and pressed into smooth, scored tablets for easy swallowing and convenient dose adjustment. Only 2.5% of the finished EC (Extra-Concentrated) tablet is binder material, far less than most herb tablets available.
5. Lab Tests
A battery of laboratory tests check samples from each batch to assure Potency and Safety. These tests include:
- Microbial testing to screen for E. coli, salmonella, and various other possible bio-contaminants such as molds and yeasts.
- GC (Gas Chromatography) ensures safety by testing for the presence of over 200 potentially harmful substances such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
- HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography) measures potency by substantiating the presence of active ingredients.
- ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry) is the future of non-organic (heavy metal) testing.
Other systems in use today are sensitive to subparts per million (ppm), but the ICP-MS can detect elements in the subparts per billion (ppb) range and some elements in the subparts per trillion (ppt) range. ICP-MS technology is by far the most precise and sensitive available for heavy metal testing. Samples from every lot of our E.C. (Extra-Concentrated) tablets are sent out to NSF International, a not-for-profit, non-government, independent lab here in the United States where they are tested for heavy metals by ICP-MS. NSF International is accredited by both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), serving an international market with manufacturers in more than 84 countries. More than 150,000 products carry the NSF certification.
Text from the Golden Flower Web Site
