Euromed launches organic extracts range to size up sustainability efforts

20 May 2020 --- Euromed has launched Earth Harmony Organic Extracts – an organic-certified version of the company’s dietary supplements – that guarantees ingredient traceability and environmental sustainability. The extracts are manufactured in compliance with the EU-regulated organic certification standards and US equivalent standards, which facilitate the extracts’ use in both EU and US organic-labeled food and dietary supplements. This move comes at the heels of a steadily increasing consumer awareness of the human and planetary health benefits surrounding certified organic ingredients.

“Organic certification is the pinnacle of documentation control from the cultivation of the plant material to the extract production. The display of the Earth Harmony Organic Extract logo on supplement labels is proof for consumers of verifiable organic certification and ingredient quality. As consumers have gained awareness of sustainability and other advantages associated with organic foods, they naturally are interested in organic solutions in the supplement space too,” Guy Woodman, General Manager Euromed USA, tells NutritionInsight.

The launch encompasses milk thistle extract, where its specific seed cultivar is cultivated under contract in Europe, and saw palmetto fruit from the US, where Euromed has agreements with landowners to harvest their fruit. The company’s two extraction facilities in Spain are well situated to process locally cultivated Mediterranean organic herbs, including rosemary leaf, pomegranate, olive fruit, fig and artichoke extracts into the organic portfolio.

The organic trend is projected to grow as it is easily combined with well-known trends, such as non-GMO and “free-from.” Demand from diverse demographics
Consumer interest in sustainably sourced ingredients is piqued, as humans are increasingly reassessing their relationship with the Earth. According to Innova Market Insights data, the demand for organic-certified dietary supplements increased 18 percent over the period of 2015-2019. Health-aware and environmentally-conscious consumers alike are driving the trend of organic ingredients, Woodman observes, with both Boomers and Millennials at the forefront. 

“Baby Boomers are reconciling their lifetime negative influence on global warming and attempting to minimize their further negative generational environmental impact by helping to reduce the use of chemicals in industrial farming. The Millennial population seeks transparency in the products they purchase, particularly mothers purchasing products for their children. This demographic displays concern over the environment and the impact of their carbon footprint on the planet,” Woodman explains.

He further predicts the organic trend to grow as it is easily combined with other already well-established trends, such as non-GMO and “free-from” products. “In the face of growing pressure on our resources and the increasing demand for sustainable, environmentally friendly ingredients and products, it’s likely that the organic trend will continue to rise.” 

Signed, sealed, delivered: The certification process
Barcelona-based Euromed complies with the organic certification standard regulated by the EC Regulation 834/2007. This is easier said than done, considering the limited availability of organic certified botanical raw material, the company notes. Moreover, cultivation without agricultural chemicals reduces the harvest yield and places restrictions on the grower to comply with stringent requirements in their organic certificate documentation, says Woodman.

The company’s organic shipments from Spain to the US are accompanied by a National Organic Program (NOP) import certificate, which is a federal regulatory program that enforces uniform national standards for organically-produced agricultural products sold in the US. Woodman explains that the EU and the US established an equivalency relationship agreeing to recognize each other’s organic certification as acceptable in their respective markets in 2012. 

The EU and the US's equivalency relationship recognizes each other’s organic certification as acceptable in their respective markets. All Euromed’s raw material must satisfy extensive quality parameters from international botanical monographs, including comprehensive potential impurity testing. “At each step of the process in obtaining final organic extract certification, there is a requirement for stepwise documentation control. The authorizing body will not issue a Certificate of Conformity unless the paperwork for each step of the process is available for their review. This starts with the organic certified raw material that has different requirements for material grown in Europe or originating in non-EU countries,” Woodman details.

Certifications play an important role in this process, Woodman continues, but they are not enough. “Euromed has integrated sustainability and traceability into every facet of its operation. Besides extensive quality certifications, this includes raw material sourcing, processing and packaging. Each production batch from the herb to the final extract undergoes several laboratory tests for identity, potency and potential impurities to guarantee the highest standards.”

In this space, Andrea Zangara, Head of Scientific Communications and Marketing at Euromed, previously shared with NutritionInsight how clinical testing and company transparency are increasingly sought after by consumers across the nutrition industry to ensure product safety. Notably, Woodman affirms that Euromed tests botanical raw materials exhaustively, in accordance with international regulations, ranging from botanical macro- and micro-identification and control of active principles and potential impurities to chromatographic analyses.

By Anni Schleicher