You've probably seen our Cambridge Naturals Brand herbal tinctures around the store - we carry a wide selection of affordable, high quality single herb and herbal blend CN tinctures, as well as some dried herb capsules and over 30 essential oils, to meet our customers' growing need and passion for herbal remedies. These herbal tinctures are manufactured for us for us by Vitality Works in Alberquerque, New Mexico, led by founder and award winning herbalist Mitch Coven. For over three decades, Vitality Works has striven to provide leading edge medicinal supplements of the highest quality, purity and potency. They offer an unmatched expertise in direct sourcing of botanicals, and their meticulous attention to detail and consistency of the manufacturing process has given them an impeccable reputation for quality. We are proud to work with Vitality Works on our Cambridge Naturals Brand herbal products! Below is our interview with Craig from VW:
Tell me a little bit about Vitality Works. Where are you located and who are you owned by? What makes your products unique in this ever-expanding industry?
Vitality Works is located in Albuquerque, NM where it was founded 34 years ago by Mitch Coven as a complimentary health clinic. One of the factors that make our products unique is that the entire operation is overseen by Mitch, a Medical and Clinical Herbalist and lecturer. Formulas that were developed and successful in the clinic are the foundation of our line. Mitch’s depth of herbal knowledge assures that everything from the procurement of the herbs worldwide, processing into products, quality and regulatory compliance is carefully managed so that every bottle leaving the facility is consistently of the highest quality to maximize results. Mitch’s leadership is supported by an exceptional group of employees, who share his dedication.
Echinacea fields on the Vitality Works partner farm in Abiquiu
How do you source the raw materials that go into your products?
Our herbs are sourced from all over the world. We buy certified organic and ethically wild harvested botanicals direct from growers and harvesters as a priority. We buy fresh, recently harvested botanicals that are 100% tested for potency, strength, identity and purity. We pretest lots of herbs to insure they meet our specifications, which go beyond FDA requirements. We have relationships to our growers that go back decades.
What type of certifications do your products have? Why are these certifications important?
The Vitality Works facility has a number of certifications, all of which are reflections of the quality control that is in place. It is important to have 3rd party certification to validate that the manufacturer is really making safe product, are following regulations, meet quality standards and that meet the claims on a label. Our facility is FDA-registered; NSF GMP certified, KOF-K Certified Kosher and Certified Organic for some products. Our products are GMO Freee and Gluten Free as well but are not certified. Mitch is also a member of the American Herbal Products Association (APHA) and the American Botanical Council (ABC).
Emigdio, herb farmer (left) and Mitch Coven, founder of VW
Does Vitality Works have any transparency initiatives in place and if so what are those? What does Vitality Works do to maintain sourcing and manufacturing transparency?
Our facility is open to inspection and we hide nothing. We are audited or inspected on average 40 times per year by a third party. If someone needs to know where our raw materials come from, such as country of origin, we tell them. We are proud of what we offer.
Bottling and Quality Control at VW