Utzy Naturals: Vertically Integrated, Natural Supplements for the Masses
In a relatively short amount of time, the food space as we know it has undergone radical changes. It now seems perfectly normal to ask about where your food comes from – and for brands and producers to be transparent and forthcoming with regards to the answers. And now, thanks to Utzy Naturals, the same holds true when it comes to natural supplements.
Why Choose Natural Supplements?
All supplements are far from created alike. Some supplement can contain nasty or even dangerous substances, such as heavy metals present in some fish oils or hydrogenated oils used as fillers. And while the FDA has some power with regard to supplements that contain known contaminants, generally speaking, former FDA commissioner David Kessler tells the Atlantic, regulating supplements makes regulating tobacco look easy, whether it’s with regards to their potency or their purity.
Tired of supplement companies trying to drive prices down by using inexpensive imported raw materials, the father-and-son team behind Utzy Naturals created a line that is both potent and clean.
Vertical Integration for Optimum Transparency and Quality Control
Daniel Powers explains that his father worked for over 25 years supplying supplements directly to physicians, and he brings that knowledge and drive to the family’s new vertically integrated business.
“We’ve always wanted to create a family brand that encapsulated kind of the very best of what we could do,” explains Powers, who notes that the supplements are already available online via Utzy’s web store and should soon be rolled out at a variety of independent vendors. “Our hopes are that our products would be available wherever supplements are sold.”
The company’s supplements can be divided into several categories: foundational health products including multivitamins and single-source vitamins and minerals, fish oils, and natural specialty products. The third category, which encompasses everything from an immune support formula to a natural sleep aid, is mostly herbal-based, created for Utzy Naturals by Jeremy Johnson, a top botanical researcher and pharmacist from the University of Chicago.
Whenever possible, the ingredients going into the natural supplements come from the company’s certified organic farm in Wisconsin, such as the stinging nettle in the company’s new Allurtica, a seasonal support product for sinus and respiratory health.
“Our idea is to be vertically integrated as a company from seed to capsule,” explains Powers.
In the case of supplements for which Utzy can’t grow its own materials, such as the Italian bergamot used in its cholesterol maintenance product, the chelated minerals used in its mineral supplements, the company relies on a variety of vendors to supply raw materials. Utzy vets these collaborators heavily, requiring that each prospective vendor complete a ten-page checklist including inquiries about allergens, organic control, and sanitation, before being audited directly by Utzy to ensure they meet the company’s rigorous standards.
“Whenever possible, we use branded ingredients that have research and studies behind them,” explains Powers. “We’re just looking for the best of the best ingredients out there.”
Wherever the base ingredients come from, their actual transformation is always done by Utzy.
“We manufacture all our own products actually except for the fish oil,” explains Powers, who nevertheless notes that the product meets Utzy standards: it’s processed in a pharmaceutical-grade factory in Norway, where it’s tested for about 250 contaminants before being processed.
Keeping control over all elements of its production cycle allows Utzy to be confident in the contents of its products – and pass on that confidence to consumers.
Working With Family
For Powers, Utzy is the fulfillment of a lifelong exposure to and interest in natural products. The 24-year-old was raised with an appreciation for the natural foods industry; a regular at Expo West from the time he was a teenager, Powers always knew that his future lay in this industry.
“Health and wellness has always been my thing,” he says. “There’s never been any wavering in my mind of what bigger picture problems I’d be solving with work, because I always knew it was going to be natural foods, natural products.”
His motivation and drive – and the experience that his father brings to the picture – have set the team behind Utzy Naturals on the path to success.
“I think our biggest hopes and goals are really to reach as many people as possible with our products to be able to help people find natural solutions,” says Powers. His belief in not only the power of great natural supplements but also in creating a true quality product are sure to help the company meet their objectives.
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