Transparency in Women's Health Supplements

We keep the bar high by testing every batch of our supplements, and publishing the results.

Scroll ↓ to learn how

Our Quality Standards

In the field of women's health supplements, it's essential to prioritize top-notch product quality and transparency. By applying strict testing and verification practices, we can ensure products are free from contamination, accurately labeled, and contain only the listed ingredients.

Formulated by a team of healthcare professionals

Made in Canada

Supplier qualification program

Batch tested by a third-party

Free from harmful contaminants

Provide the results for everyone to see

Third Party Testing

We have all our supplements tested by a third-party lab licensed by Health Canada, ensuring unbiased results. If a batch fails to meet either the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from Health Canada, or the standards set out by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), it is removed and properly disposed of.

Additionally, our manufacturer has a stringent supplier qualification program for raw materials and packaging components. All materials meet high safety standards, ensuring supplements are free from harmful contaminants. By thoroughly vetting suppliers, the manufacturer guarantees consistent quality, so clients can trust that each batch meets the same high standards.

What does this mean? Our third-party testing starts with ensuring the raw materials meet our standards. Next, testing is done at specific points in the manufacturing process, and ends with a set of tests on the final product. At no point do take a chance on your trust.

6 Categories of Testing

Title

01 — Dissolution

Testing Standard

USP 〈2040〉 Disintegration and Dissolution of Dietary Supplements

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To determine how quickly and completely active ingredients from a solid dietary supplement dissolve in a liquid (and thus absorbed by your body).

Overview

Bia only selects nutrients that have a high bioavailability (see this article for more on this topic). In addition to choosing highly bioavailable nutrients, we go further by ensuring that the nutrients are available to consumers under normal digestive conditions. Therefore, we perform dissolution tests to confirm that the active ingredients dissolve in a timely manner to be absorbed by the body.

Bioavailability covers the entire process of absorption and utilization, whereas dissolution tests only address the initial step of releasing the active ingredient into a soluble form.

How is the Test Performed?

Dissolution tests check how quickly and completely active ingredients from a solid dietary supplement dissolve in a liquid, like gastric juices. This involves placing tablets in a dissolution apparatus, sampling the liquid at various intervals, and measuring how much of the active ingredient has dissolved. These tests ensure that consumers get the right amount of active ingredients, which is crucial for the supplement’s effectiveness.

02 — Heavy Metal Contamination

Testing Standard

USP 〈232〉 Limits for Elemental Impurities

USP 〈233〉 Procedures for Elemental Impurity Testing

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To ensure that a supplement doesn't contain harmful heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, with high level of precision and accuracy.

Overview

Heavy metals are extremely harmful when consumed above toxic levels. Therefore, we have made it our priority to ensure our supplements do not contain them. To achieve this, we perform stringent testing on every batch.

Our supplements aren't sold unless they meet the safe limits listed in the USP 〈232〉 testing standard. This standard ensures the safety of our supplements by detecting and measuring harmful heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, with high level of precision and accuracy.

How is the Test Performed?

To test for heavy metals, we use a technique called Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The process begins by dissolving the dietary supplement sample in a liquid. This liquid sample is then sprayed into a fine mist, which is introduced into an extremely hot gas (around 10,000°C). The high temperature breaks the sample into its basic elements, each with its own properties.

These elements are directed into a mass spectrometer, which separates them based on their specific properties. Once separated, the detector counts the abundance of each element, providing precise information on the types and amounts of metals in the sample.

03 — Pesticide Residue

Testing Standard

USP 〈561〉 Articles of Botanical Origin

USP 〈565〉 Botanical Extracts

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To determine what quantity of a number of potential pesticides may or may not be present in the sample to be tested.

Overview

Pesticides are chemicals used to protect plant crops from bugs and insects, but chronic exposure to pesticides can be harmful to human health. We often think about pesticides in relation to the foods we eat, but the many of the nutrients that are present in all kinds of supplements are derived from plants.

How is the Test Performed?

The testing process starts by dissolving and preparing the dietary supplement sample. Like heavy metal testing, the sample is then injected into a Mass Spectrometry system, where it’s separated to detect for potential pesticide residues. Scientists compare the results to known standards to check for pesticides. This ensures that the supplements have pesticide levels below Health Canada's limit of 0.05 ppm (parts per million) for most pesticides.

04 — Microorganisms

Testing Standard

USP 〈2022〉 Absence of Specified Microorganims

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To determine the presence or absence of a specified list of microorganisms within supplements — Clostridium species, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella species, and/or Staphylococcus aureus.

Overview

Testing all supplements for harmful microorganisms is vital to ensure safety. We check for a number of bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria (those that can survive in the human stomach, and usually have a high resistance to antibiotics).

Supplements aren't released until these tests confirm they are free of harmful bacteria. These microbiological tests ensure our supplements meet the highest safety standards.

How is the Test Performed?

A relatively simple test, to do so, we dilute a sample of the supplement and plate it on agar that allows only specific bacteria to grow (think petri dish). If colonies appear, it indicates contamination.

05 — Quality and Label Adherence

Testing Standard

USP Reference Standard — Oil- and Water-Soluble Vitamins with Minerals Capsules

USP Reference Standard — Choline Bitartrate

USP Reference Standard — Methylcobalamin

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To ensure that the concentration of active nutrients in our supplement remains consistent, and as stated, from batch to batch.

Overview

In many types of supplements on the market, the actual concentration of each nutrient often differs from what is stated on the label.

To ensure accuracy and guarantee the highest level of transparency to our customers, we test the concentration of each ingredient in our supplements over a 2-year period to ensure that the concentration corresponds to the label and remains consistent over time.

How is the Test Performed?

One way to separate, identify, and measure the different nutrients in a sample is through High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). During the test, a tube is filled with a material that attracts, and holds onto, different components of a supplement. Liquid is then pumped, along with the separated components, through a column, whereby the solution interacts with its surroundings. These interactions will cause each component to flow at a different rate, and those speeds are then measured via a detector at the end of the column. The rate of flow for each component forms a type of fingerprint, identifying each one, and these are then evaluated against industry recognized standards.

To measure for concentration, the separated components are passed in front of a detector that will produce peaks on a chromatogram (a type of graph). These peaks indicate the amount of each component present, and are evaluated against industry recognized standards.

06 — Stability and Consistency

Testing Standard

USP 〈2091〉 Weight Variation of Dietary Supplements

USP 〈2022〉 Absence of Specified Microorganims

Applicable GMP regulations

Purpose

To better optimize the recommended guidelines for storage of our supplements, as well as ensure an accurate, recommended expiration date.

Overview

Ensuring product stability over time is essential for maintaining the efficacy of our products. We conduct stability tests and provide clear storage and expiration guidance to deliver the best quality to the mothers (to-be) that trust us.

How is the Test Performed?

We test the weight of our capsules at every batch according to USP standards to ensure consistency. For stability, we perform microbial tests (see 04 — Microorganisms) multiple times over two years to ensure no growth inside the product.

Additionally, we check the supplement content over two years to ensure ingredient levels stay within Health Canada’s limits. If levels fall below, the supplement is considered expired.

Published Test Results

Use the look-up table below to view the test results for the batch(es) of one of our supplements

How do I know the batch my supplement was part of?

The batch is listed as the "Lot" number that appears on the back of the refill pouch that you received within your initial starter-kit, and/or at every subscription renewal.

List of Batch Numbers

Coming soon

Additional Resources

Title

Definitions

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): The GMP guide was developed by the Canadian Government as part of quality assurance. They ensure that drugs are consistently produced and controlled. Drugs must meet the quality standards for their intended use—as outlined in the marketing authorization, clinical trial authorization or product specification.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP): USP stands for the United States Pharmacopeia. The USP is a non-profit organization that has developed standards to test products during development to ensure that they don’t pose a risk to users. These standards are widely recognized throughout the industry as impartial and thorough.

Mass Spectrometer: Mass spectrometry, often abbreviated to mass spec, is a technique used to accurately determine the mass of different molecules in a sample. A mass spectrometer is a device used to perform this measurement.

Consult a Dietitian for a Healthier Pregnancy

Supplements can't replace a healthy diet, and we recommend that mothers (to-be) consult with a registered dietitian.

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Transparency in Women's Health Supplements

Our Quality Standards

Third Party Testing