Category: Perspectives

AOAC Annual Meeting 2023 Recap By Anthony Fontana Ph.D., Lab Director I attended the AOAC Annual Meeting & Exposition held from August 26th to 30th at the Marriott in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting encompassed a wide range of topics on botanical and dietary supplement testing. There were excellent sessions on Botanical Ingredients and Dietary […]

Elan, Petra, and I were very pleased to attend the NBJ Summit last month, this year returning to the scenic Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, CA. It brought together industry experts to explore the theme of agility and adaptability in uncertain times. The vibrant ambiance of the resort set the stage for engaging discussions against […]

Travel Maniacs We have been traveling a lot lately! Alkemites participated in three significant industry events in June: the UNPA Member Retreat, the new Mushroom Summit, and the Canadian Natural Health Products Research Society (NHPRS). All three were valuable and in some cases, enlightening. Elan, Nick ,and Petra share their thoughts.   UNPA Member Retreat […]

ICSB Recap By Bryan Fine Attending the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals was an enriching and fulfilling experience. From the informative presentations and discussions to the welcoming and collaborative atmosphere, the conference proved to be an ideal forum for exploring new ideas, connecting with industry friends, and gaining a deeper understanding of the […]

FTIR and FDA Warning Letters By Elan Sudberg One of the hardest things I have ever done in my life was to earn a degree in chemistry. While I claimed three other majors before that and could have graduated so many years earlier, I knew I had to understand the foundations of phyto/fungal chemicals to […]

A Few of Petra’s Favorite Things…About Expo When your feet hurt, when in long lines, when your feeling tired… simply remember your favorite things!  I can just hear Julie Andrews singing this to get me through the long week of Expo.  Now that we are all back to the office and hopefully recovered, it feels […]

Even More Transparency!!! by Elan Believe it or not, while the seeds of transparency I planted ~8 years ago have only recently sprouted and are slowly growing into an unstoppable movement, I have never been alone in this fight to prove our industry is regulated and sells high-quality products that may even work. In the background and more recently foreground is […]

Spotlight on True Grace True Grace enthusiastically joined the Alkemist Assured program soon after we launched it. Jennifer Weinhardt, Sr. Director of R&D for True Grace, explains why they are fans and what benefits they are seeing. What drew you to participate in the Alkemist Assured program? At True Grace, a rigorous focus on quality […]

2022 was the Dress Rehearsal for 2023: Elan reflects upon the past, and looks ahead By Elan Sudberg In the wake of three mostly aberrant years, each less crappy (from a pandemic perspective) than its predecessor, I have high expectations (from an Alkemist perspective) for 2023. Our newest *best-year-in-history was 2021 and is now itself […]

Why Alkemist Supports Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) By Elan Sudberg While my collection of industry besties is majority women, unfortunately their ratio in the industry isn’t nearly as high. Surprisingly it’s estimated to be closer to 84 women for every 100 men, and the numbers are even worse in leadership positions, despite so much evidence […]