Amax NutraSource: From Pioneer to Pacesetter

Since 1995, Amax NutraSource, Inc., Eugene, OR, has pioneered a number of ingredient segments in an effort to bolster its position in the nutraceuticals industry. And with raw material, procurement, manufacturing, blending and warehousing operations spanning four continents, the goal of becoming a top-tier manufacturer has become a reality.

The company currently focuses on direct-from-factory sourcing for its arsenal of over 400 ingredients from several regions a­round the globe, in particular China, India and South America. To keep up with the ever-changing environment, Larry Martinez, president, says Amax has set the pace by launching three to six new and unique extracts or ingredients to the marketplace each year. “Our latest additions include lo han guo, green tea standardized to EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), apple polyphenols and lycium,” he said. “We added a full service blending operation to our Eugene location two years ago, so now we are servicing the premix vitamin and herbal blending needs of our customers as well.” Some of the company’s premix offerings include energy drink mixes, botanical/herbal blends, meal replacements, vitamin and mineral supplements, and high ORAC blends.

Being selected as the exclusive North American distributor for two ingredients developed by Procter & Gamble—SynerTea, a solvent free green tea extract that is high in antioxidant polyphenols but is bitterless, light in color and highly soluble; and lo han guo, a concentrated juice or powdered extract with intense sweetness that can be used across a broad range of applications, including lower calorie foods and beverages—has also helped the company gain valuable access to the food, beverage and cosmetic markets.

Speaking of cosmetics, Amax also supplies several CTFA-certified extracts, such as CLA oil, lycium berry and rhodiola rosea, which can be used in a variety of cosmetic applications.

Over the years, the company has invested in technology to improve quality and provide value for specific applications, including nutritional supplements, functional foods and beverages, and cosmetics. Its manufacturing plants operate in conformity with GMP standards, are ISO 9001:2000 certified and feature state-of-the-art processing equipment. Continual monitoring and testing are carried out in all stages of processing by using TLC (thin-layer chromatography), HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), UV (ultraviolet), and GC (gas chromatography) equipment and metho-dologies. Furthermore, to ensure ongoing product quality, Amax submits the results of in-house quality control and assay tests to independent laboratories for further confirmation of these results.

In addition to supplements, Mr. Martinez believes the growing use of functional foods and beverages, as well as cosmetics will create unprecedented growth for the company and the nutraceuticals industry overall. He also welcomes the in-creased regulatory scrutiny under which the industry will o-perate in the near future because it will give more assurance to the public of the efficacy of products, and will weed out manufacturers who discredit this industry by delivering inferior products.

Like many who have been in the industry for several years, Mr. Martinez was seeking a business where efficacious products could have tremendous benefits for a person’s well-being and health. He says building a company like Amax helped make this goal a reality, in addition to providing him the opportunity to use technical and relationship skills to bring great products to the U.S.—R.W.

Amax NutraSource, Inc.
1770 Prairie Road
Eugene, OR 97402
Telephone: 800-893-5306
Fax: 541-688-4866
E-mail: info@amaxnutrasource.com
Website: www.amaxnutrasource.com