Full Spectrum Ahead
Draco Natural Products, San Jose, CA, is a supplier of high quality Full Spectrum Standardized Herbal Extracts™. In terms of staying close to nature (and tradition), the company extracts only in pure, clean, natural water. In fact this is the foundation for which the company was built upon according to Jennifer Higgins, vice president of sales.
More than 10 years ago Draco scientists and engineers developed a unique process that not only standardizes the marker compound of an herb but also extracts all of the herbs active components in a natural ratio—using only water as a solvent. The discovery of this technology gave birth to Full Spectrum Standardization and Draco Natural Products. Because the company uses this proprietary extraction process it therefore refrains from soaking its herbs in industrial solvents like ethanol or hexane to achieve its results.
Using state-of-the-art technology, Draco has pioneered a new low temperature extraction methodology that goes beyond previous limitations of conventional water or solvent extraction. The company has had great success even with herbs that are high in oils and resins. Today Draco offers a complete line of Full Spectrum Standardized Herbal Extracts along with a full line of Action Synergized Formulations™ and customized formulas.
Draco’s specialty, however, is formulation, which allows them to provide an unlimited selection of custom blends and proven traditional formulas, many of which are backed by academic peer reviewed clinical research. Additionally the company can also offer technical assistance to customers who have their own formulas. According to Ms. Higgins, Draco’s services in particular are what differentiates Draco from other herb manufacturers in the business. She said, “Draco has successful formulations because there are so many ‘me too’ products out there and we can offer differentiation because we have a proprietary process that is exclusive to us.”
In terms of quality assurance, that remains a top priority at Draco. The company is ISO 9002 certified and will be receiving ISO 9001 certification in the first quarter of 2001. The company also maintains close working partnerships with herb growers to insure that each herb is grown and harvested, or wildcrafted under the perfect conditions. The herbs are closely inspected on site by trained botanists who look for their organoleptic qualities and are checked against the official Chinese Herbal Pharmacopeia for species identification. At Draco’s receiving docks, each lot of incoming herb is quarantined until the lab analysis for any potential adulterants or contaminants is complete. In addition, the company employs good manufacturing practices (GMP)—conforming to recognized international GMP standards as well as a variety of state of the art analytical testing methods.
On the new product front Draco most recently launched a Pain Relief formula, which is the latest in the company’s line of Action Synergized Formulas. The product is derived from herbs scientifically studied for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Pain Relief, as with all of Draco’s formulas, is blended prior to extraction so that individualized botanicals can “inter-react” with one another during the extraction process.
In terms of expansion, the company has planned construction of a new manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China. And in the U.S., Draco recently moved its corporate headquarters to San Jose, CA, because the company is expanding its personnel.
In an extremely turbulent environment, known as the nutraceuticals marketplace, Ms. Higgins said Draco has been exceeding expectations. She noted, “Our company has an advantage because the brokers and middlemen are starting to disappear and in a science driven industry we have an advantage because we are the manufacturer and can provide significant scientific evidence.”
—R.M.
Draco Natural Products
539 Parrot Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Telephone: 408-287-7871
Fax: 408-287-8838
Website: www.dracoherbs.com
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