The term “nutraceutical” from “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical. Nutraceuticals are products, which other than nutrition are also used as medicine. Nutraceuticals provides extra health benefits, in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods.

Nutraceuticals are more often grouped into four categories that include dietary supplements, functional food, medicinal food, and farmaceuticals.

A dietary supplement are the products which contains nutrients derived from food products. It is often available in the form of liquid, capsule, powder or pill.

Functional food is the product which are made from whole foods, fortified, enriched and enhanced dietary components. Functional Food has the health benefits over the traditional nutrients that may reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Medical food is intended to use in specific dietary management of a disease. It is generally used when requirements for distinctive nutrition are identified by the recognized medical and scientific evaluation. It is generally consumed or administered internally under the supervision of a qualified Medical Professional.

Farmaceuticals is the term derived from the combination of words ‘Farm’ and ‘Pharmaceuticals’. Farmaceuticals products are the items which are made from medically valuable components produced from modified agricultural crops or animals.

Examples of Nutraceuticals are Soy Protein, Garlic, Green Tea, Vitamin D, Lycopene, Ginseng, Glucosamine, Cod liver oil, Echinacea and many others.

Importance of Nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals has many more potential health benefits over the traditional food due to their Nutritional, Safety and therapeutic effects. It may be used to improve health, prevents chronic diseases which ultimately improves life expectancy and support various functions and integrity of the body.

Testing of Nutraceuticals requires

  • Identification Test
  • Purity Test
  • Microbial Testing
  • Impurity Testing (Pesticide, Residual, Heavy Metal etc.)
  • Safety Test of the Product
  • Stability Testing
  • Contamination Testing
  • Suitability Test

We at Chomak Research tests ingredients for quality and purity according to established standards, such as the USP-NF, FCC, EN, BP etc. helping manufacturers and suppliers protect the quality of ingredients.