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Certifications from The International Center for Integrative Systems Grows Market Opportunities for Industry-Leading Superfood

ORLANDO, Fla. , Jan. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Valensa International (Eustis, FL USA) announced today that its Parry Organic Spirulina Ingredient has received Certified R.A.W.™ and Certified C.L.E.A.N.™ status from the raw foods industry standards body, The International Center for Integrative Systems. The certifications underscore important issues for natural foods and vegan consumers, such as low-temperature, minimalistic processing, nutrient value and density, bioavailability, and sustainable, ethical manufacture. These recent certifications add to a number of other quality proof statements for Parry Organic Spirulina, including USP Verified, organic certifications, Food Safety Standards certifications, and GRAS. Parry Organic Spirulina is the first – and currently only – spirulina product on the market that meets these broad array quality assurance standards.

According to Umasudhan C.P, CEO & President at Valensa, participation in Raw Food Certified and Clean Food Certified programs is a part of an on-going effort by Valensa and Parry Nutraceuticals to offer consumers, food manufacturers and supplement retailers the highest quality and safest spirulina ingredient in the world. "We're very proud to have made this investment in R.A.W. and C.L.E.A.N. certifications. We think they open up new market opportunities for our customers – but also help to build trust with every consumer out there," he said.  "This is critical with an ingredient like spirulina. Unlike many dietary supplements, which are taken in milligram doses, many consumers use spirulina like a food – sometimes taking 5 grams or more per day. This makes it particularly important that we focus on quality and safety since even small amounts of impurities can have an impact," he said.

Rediscovering Good Food – Certified R.A.W. /Certified C.L.E.A.N.

Responding to industry concerns for consistent, understandable standards for raw foods manufacturers, The International Center for Integrative Systems, a 501 (C) Non-Profit Organization, was started in 2014. Today it is the home of the RawFoodCertified.org and Cleanfoodcertified.org projects, providing the infrastructure, administration, and governance to certify products using an international standard.

Within these certification projects, for products to be Certified R.A.W.:

For products to be Certified C.L.E.A.N., they must be:

Thirty-year track record – with a growing list of certifications.

In addition to these new certifications, Parry Organic Spirulina is USP DIVP-certified, with 32 parameters covered under product description, physical & chemical analysis, phyto-pigment analysis, fatty acid profile, microbial analysis, heavy metals and contaminants analysis.  It is GRAS affirmed. It is certified by three major organic standards organizations - USDA NOP, Naturland (Germany ), and Ecocert (France ).

Parry Organic Spirulina is carefully manufactured and processed to deliver the highest levels of phyto-nutrients such as pure phycocyanin, carotenoids, beta-carotene and chlorophyll A. The company also has upgraded its packaging of Parry Organic Spirulina to ensure freshness and protection of phyto-nutrients during storage and transportation.

Parry Organic Spirulina is cultivated in a remote region of Southern India using pure artesian ground water. The facility is isolated from cities, farms and major water bodies – eliminating contamination due to pollution, pesticides, shellfish and, importantly, metals. Parry Organic Spirulina meets California Prop-65 standards for heavy metals at a 5 g serving size – with extraordinary low levels of lead (<0.01 ppm).  The ingredient's high protein levels (>60%) and low metals levels make it a 'go to' ingredient for vegan/vegetarian protein formulations.

New Markets and Brand Insurance

According to Umasudhan, consumer product developers and retailers can look at Parry's commitment to quality – as evidenced by these new certifications – as support for brand building. "The vegan/raw market is certainly growing, and we want to support our customers with differentiating value propositions. Raw certification is one way we can do this," he said. "Part of a brand is a promise of safety and quality. At Valensa and Parry, we are very conscious of that promise and want to do everything we can to help our customers keep it. We know we can with Parry Organic Spirulina," he added.

About Valensa International, LLC Headquartered in Eustis, Florida USA (near Orlando ), Valensa International is a leading science- based developer and provider of high quality nature-sourced products for nutritional supplements and functional foods. Valensa's certified organic production facilities are located in a protected pine/saw palmetto grove. Valensa International is the proud owner of more than 60 US and International Patents for Formulations and Manufacturing (Deep Extract® Supercritical CO2 and O2B® Peroxidation Blocker stabilization.)

Valensa brands include: Flex Pro MD® and Flex Pro ES® joint health formulations, Go Easy®, Immunum™, Eye Pro MD®, Pur-Blue® Premium Coated Spirulina, SpiruZan®, Prostate 360™, Cran-Gyn® & Fem Cool® Women's Health Formulas, Organic USPlus® Saw Palmetto Oil & Palmetto Rosso™, Zanthin® Natural Astaxanthin, Tresalbio® Chia Seed Extract, Chia Gold® Stabilized Chia Seed Oil, Verilla™ Perilla Oil, Ginger extract, Parry Organic Spirulina, and Parry Tomato Lycopene Complex.

Valensa is committed to production and processing that supports the environment and fair labor practices for those that work the land and participate in the production process. For more information, visit www.valensa.com.

Contact: Russ Hampel , Director of Marketing [email protected]   +1 352-357-2004 X727 Fax: 352-483-2095 www.valensa.com

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