Standard Process (SP) is one of the oldest nutritional supplement manufacturers in the United States. Its products have been staples of chiropractic practice for over sixty years.

        On October 10, a group of about 25 NCC students and faculty boarded a charter bus to Palmyra, Wisconsin, to visit the headquarters of SP. The day-long trip included tours of the offices, manufacturing plant, and farms that contribute to the smooth functioning of the company. The day was hosted by president Charlie DuBois and vice presidents Frank DuBois, Gary LaBelle, and Ann Holden. The DuBois brothers are the grand-nephews of Dr. Royal Lee, the founder of SP.

        The manufacturing plant reflects the philosophy of Standard Process in making supplements. That philosophy holds that "megadoses" of individual nutrients are not necessary; rather, it is more important to use concentrates of whole foods, to include a wide range of naturally occurring synergistic biochemicals. These include plants such as beets, alfalfa, and kale, and also bovine glandulars. Most of the plants are grown on location at SP's organic farms; the 750,000 pounds per year of beef products are obtained from USDA-inspected and approved facilities.

        These foods are prepared according to what substances are desired. Huge condensing tanks extract cytosolic compounds from the raw materials. In an adjacent room, chlorophyll and glandular lipophilic chemicals are extracted in what looks like a ten-foot tall Erlenmeyer flask. The extracts are then placed in a low-temperature vacuum dryer to maintain maximum quality.

        To make tablets, SP uses as many natural substances as possible for binders. This includes 60,000 pounds of honey per year, produced by hives on location.

        The tablet and capsule machines are capable of making tens of thousands of units per hour, followed by bottling and packaging machines that crank out 40,000 bottles per day. Employees in these areas avoid repetitive stress by rotating stations every hour.

        The laboratories meticulously test the supplements to assure quality and accuracy of label claims. The checks include bomb calorimetry, atomic absorption spectography, gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, fluorimetry, and "wet chemistry" assays. For safety concerns, the microbiology department tests the materials used at every single step of the manufacturing process, from the raw materials up to the finished tablet or capsule.

        After this tour, we briefly visited the Dr. Royal Lee Memorial Library. Dr. Lee (1895-1967) founded Standard Process in 1929. He was a dentist who became interested in nutrition after seeing an increase in tooth decay with the introduction of processed or "convenience" foods. Even in that era, he recognized that fortification of nutrient-deficient foods was not an adequate solution; people needed whole foods for balanced nutrition. Dr. Lee's collection of books, as well as personal notes, are housed in this beautiful and intimate library.

        To close out the day, we journeyed to the fields themselves, where most of the raw materials are grown. This is where the essence of Standard Process really became clear: seeing six hundred acres of beets, carrots, kale, radishes, and other plants that would eventually become those little tablets. We even taste-tested some delicious black radishes, picked less than two hours earlier. The farms use no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Fertilization is provided by a water and fish emulsion, and by the compost of leftovers from the manufacturing process. This recycling of resources takes a great burden off the environment.

        For those who were not able to make it for this trip, the door of opportunity is still open! The LRC now has a video tape with an abbreviated version of this tour. Plans are also in the works to make this an annual event. Keep your eyes open for more information.

Special thanks to everyone who made this trip a success, especially Susie Friesch of SP's customer relations department; Tom Wisniewski, SP's Illinois sales representative; Dr. Mal Cullom; and Dr. Dan Richardson.

        

Reprinted from The Synapse, November 1997.