Quebec, CN -Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals is now a TRU ID Certified Partner, and is urging other companies to do the same.

The TRU ID testing program weeds out adulteration, and gives consumers “peace of mind,” Stephen Lukawski, director of global sales and product development, Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals, said at this week's SupplySide East in Secaucus. He discussed adulteration problems in China, and pointed to several cranberry powder products that ranged in color from red to brown, showing the wide disparity in products on the market, and illustrating just how contaminated some of them had become.

"We don't want China to be a problem. We want them to be part of the solution. We need to invest in authenticity and purity, invest in the future for our consumers, and separate those who are serious, from those who are just in it to make money," he said. “The TRU ID program helps debunk the junk.”

Fruit d'Oris one of the world's largest processors and suppliers of organic cranberries and wild blueberries. This certification adds to the company's already extensive testing methods to authenticate and ensure the purity and efficacy of its farm-to-table cranberry ingredients.

“Fruit d’Or is taking a leadership role as the industry’s first cranberry supplier to join the TRU ID testing program,” Lukawski said. “DNA testing raises the bar for entry in the cranberry and botanical business. There is greater pressure for premium ingredients and end-products to verify that the starting materials are authentic and without contamination. This is one more way that we’re making it easier for our customer partners to bring quality products to market.”

TRU IDwas established in 2013, and is a certification program founded on cutting edge DNA biotechnology in support of businesses who seek authentic ingredients.

“With its third-party DNA testing of botanicals, and now extracts, TRU ID is letting the rest of the world know there is an answer to adulteration issues,” Lukawski continues. “This is a major breakthrough that will earn the industry more credibility, while protecting consumers’ health and safety.”

DNA testing, however, is not new to Fruit d’Or.  Lukawski confirms that even though Fruit d’Or is a farm-to-table company, when they entered the juice powder and whole cranberry powder business, they wanted to certify their ingredients’ authenticity and purity. “Because of the adulteration concerns with dietary supplements, especially cranberry products, we felt this was essential.” Working with the University of Guelph, a longstanding leader in DNA-based biotechnology, Fruit d’Or became the first supplier to authenticate its cranberry powder through DNA testing.

Other companies that have joined the TRU ID program include Jamieson, Nature’s Way, and Nature’s Bounty.

In related news,  trust was a common theme at the supplier and ingredient show in northern New Jersey this week. Scott Steinford, managing partner of Trust Transparency Consulting, urged attendees at his presentationDemonstrating Trust as an Ingredient Supplier,to become more transparent, in order to ultimately gain the trust of the public.  "Trust transparency is making trust apparent. It is one action that makes one more honest and more believable and makes those who implement it more trusted," he told the crowd.

WholeFoods Magazine's publisher Heather Wainer interviewed Fruit d'Or's Sylvain Dufour, vice president of sales and marketing, in February 2017.  You can see that interviewhere.