AstaReal (Burlington, NJ), a leading natural astaxanthin producer and a part of the Fuji Chemical Group of Japan, announced its amicable withdrawal from the Natural Algae Astaxanthin Association (NAXA), of which AstaReal was a founding member.
NAXA was established in January 2014 for the purpose of educating consumers and industry about the important differences between natural astaxanthin sourced from algae and the synthetic form that is produced from petrochemicals. “We are extremely proud of the seminal work we have done with NAXA. Especially during the first year of its existence, NAXA presented an extremely valuable message to the public about the many concerns and unanswered questions about using synthetic astaxanthin in human nutritional supplements,” said Kazuyuki Miyakawa, chief scientific advisor at AstaReal. “AstaReal will continue to independently educate consumers that only natural astaxanthin from H. pluvialis should be used in supplements and functional foods and beverages.”
Although all NAXA member companies produce astaxanthin from H. pluvialis, there are vast differences in the cultivation technology, quality standards, and research capabilities of each company, according to Joe Kuncewitch, national sales manager for AstaReal. “NAXA membership may give the false impression that all members are offering astaxanthin of equivalent quality. However, NAXA only confirms that member companies are producing astaxanthin from algae. They don’t perform extensive quality testing,” he explained.
Kuncewitch emphasized that by withdrawing from NAXA, AstaReal will be able to clearly emphasize its advantages over other natural astaxanthin producers: “We have a truly unique cultivation process that produces the purest and highest potency astaxanthin available. AstaReal is the most studied brand of astaxanthin; our material has been used in the majority of human clinical studies. And we are the only producer offering a stable supply of made in the USA natural astaxanthin, produced in Moses Lake, WA.”
Clinical human research remains the cornerstone of AstaReal’s operations, and the company has pioneered natural astaxanthin research for health. Dr. Arun Nair, president of AstaReal’s operations in the U.S., said, “AstaReal currently has multiple human clinical studies underway in the United States and Japan. These studies will add to the already strong body of evidence supporting AstaReal astaxanthin’s use in nutritional supplements and the emerging area of medical foods. Consumers purchasing products containing AstaReal can feel confident that they are getting the most researched natural astaxanthin available.”
For more information, visit www.astarealusa.com.
