Natural extracts are today widely popular and rapidly growing in the area of wellness and beauty. However, unlike their chemical counterparts, natural extracts are a lot more complex. At a basic level, chemical compounds are man made and engineered and are therefore composed of only specific target molecules. Plants on the other hand are naturally grown and consist of multiple complex compounds , the concentration and nature of which varies not only from species to species, but also between subspecies and even the region and time in which it was grown. A simple extract can therefore vary a lot in composition and therefore the need to ‘standardise’ extracts

Standardised extracts , i.e extracts which are standardised to a certain percentage of known actives would seem like the panacea of issue natural. However, the issue is more complex, Let us look at key determinants of what would constitute a quality ‘standardised extract’

1. Measured and certified actives : The actives are what gives the health benefits and what is expected. Actives have to be carefully defined and quantified using standardised industry approved methods. This will ensure that products formulated with the actives will have the same activity as the reference that was intended.
2. Batchwise consistency : Products are produced over a period of time and it is natural for every customer to expect that ingredients bought over time would have the same activity and quality. This is called batch wise consistency. Sadly this is not something that can be taken for granted as the raw material (plant based inputs) vary naturally in the compounds. Checking for and ensuring the batchwise consistency is absolutely necessary for consistent results and benefits in the product.
3. Product traceability : Product traceability refers to the systematic recording of raw material across the manufacturing process such that each product can be reliably traced to the related raw materials and vice versa. This becomes important to ensure any isolations or recalls that may be necessary in accordance with the law or any other requirements. While again, this would be expected , the mechanisms for doing so are sadly not uniform and reliable across the industry. What is more, there are key industry issues of adulteration which is a concern and only robust systems can help keep harmful products at bay.
4. Safety : safety is a wide ranging aspect. Broadly , this would imply absence of contaminants that are known to be harmful for health. Heavy metals, lead , pesticide residue etc are some of the harmful contaminants. It is surprising that despite known risks, this is not always tested or properly documented.

These challenges make it clear that unlike what is popularly believed, purchasing and using standardised raw materials is not as ‘easy’ as one may think. While it is easy to consider standardised ingredients as commodities with every product easily replaceable by other manufacturers, it is not really the case. The capability and therefore quality of products varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and this makes the job of a purchaser challenging, especially considering that the brand is responsible for ensuring quality , efficacy and safety of the product.

It is in this context that Arjuna Natural has introduced Safepure (™) range of standardised ingredients. Safepure(™)is a seal of guarantee that Arjuna natural provides to customers guaranteeing the safety and purity of ingredients. Originally born out of the then stringent regulations of the European Union and California Prop 65 regarding toxicity and purity, Arjuna Natural realised that the superior processes had already created products that met and in some cases exceeded the expectations of these regulations .. Arjuna went on to institutionalise processes and checks to standardise these safety measures and in cases exceeded them.

The SAFPURE(™) logo is an assurance to customers that their products are safe and pure and complex with the best in class standards