Since our inception in 1979, we have used only the purest, and whenever possible, the lowest allergy potential natural ingredients. Many very sensitive individuals who react to supplements in general are able to tolerate Allergy Research Group® products.
It’s not as simple as sourcing hypoallergenic ingredients
The ‘source’ of a nutrient is not necessarily a reliable indicator of whether the nutrient is hypoallergenic. For instance, many nutrients can be synthesized from natural plant substances, which may in their natural state be allergens. However, in advanced synthesizing and purifying processes used to obtain the pure nutrient from the original substance, the allergens are left behind. If done properly, the allergen content is effectively zero and cannot be detected even through advanced testing methods. In this case, the original starting material is of no consequence.
As an example, the ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in some of our products is derived from non-GMO corn, but when we perform PCR testing on our finished products to verify no GMO content, we also find no corn proteins are detectable.
On the other hand, allergens can occur in nutritional supplements not only due to poor choice of starting material or inferior processing, but also through cross-contamination, which can occur during the many phases of supplement formula manufacturing. Even if a manufacturer uses only the best sources and processing during individual nutrient manufacture, later steps that involve measuring and mixing ingredients into formulas, encapsulating, and packaging could re-introduce traces of allergens. Such are not common occurrences, but they can and do happen.
How we ensure our products are hypoallergenic
The best way to ensure that a product is hypoallergenic is to test the final product.
That’s what we do at Allergy Research Group. When you see Hypoallergenic on our product labels, you can rest assured that we have taken every measure to ensure the purity of the product.
For more information about the specific measures we take to ensure the quality of our products, including allergen testing, please see our Quality Control page for details.
A final point bears mentioning: a large number of our products are effectively Hypoallergenic but are not labeled as such. Specifically, even if our final testing shows allergens are not present (undetectable), we may not label the product as Hypoallergenic. The FDA requires manufacturers to identify the presence of the eight major food allergens on all product labels, as well as any ingredient derived from those foods. When an ingredient is derived from a common allergen, we are required by law to list that allergen on the label as a source of the ingredient, even if the product does not contain any of the actual allergen.
We fully disclose all ingredients, both active and inactive on every product label, so doctors can make fully informed choices for their patients’ nutritional support.