USANA uses their "voluntary Pharmaceutical GMP" claim as a major advertising pitch. While they have no organization or agency in the U.S. testing USANA for pharmaceutical GMP, they do claim that the Australian TGA is equivalent to the FDA's Pharmaceutical GMP standards. Proof of this claim comes from USANA's website which states "In several countries around the world, supplements are more highly regulated than in the United States. In Australia, for example, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which regulates dietary supplements, mandates that manufacturers follow a set of GMP identical to pharmaceutical GMP in the United States." - http://www.usana.com/dotCom/company/manufacturing/index

However, Wyeth (Centrum), Bayer (One A Day), Herbalife, Melaleuca, Amway, and many other companies are also sold in Australia under Medicinal Products just like USANA is (see this link). Therefore, according to USANA's own words, these companies are all voluntarily manufacturing their supplements according to pharmaceutical GMPs.

One of the excuses USANA distributors give for USANA's high prices is because they voluntarily meet Pharmaceutical GMPs (which is supposed to make their product superior to other brands).

A quick price comparison of USANA's "Essentials" multivitamin-multimineral supplement reveals the following.

USANA Essentials at $39.95 for a 28 day supply is:
- 2 times as expensive as Herbalife's "Multivitamin Complex"
- 2 times as expensive as Melaleuca's "Vitality Pack Muli-vitamin/mineral"
- 11 times as expensive as Amway's "Nutrilite Daily Free" (IRON FREE)
- 14 times as expensive as Wyeth's "Centrum Silver" (IRON FREE)
- 15 times as expensive as Bayer's "One a day (mens)" (IRON FREE)


USANA distributors have continously bashed vitamin manufacturers that add IRON into their dietary supplements. However, it should be pointed out that the most popular dietary supplement companies do in fact make an Iron-Free multi vitamin/mineral product for those who may have hemochromatosis. However, ALL of USANA's dietary supplement products are Iron-Free. It should be noted that less than one half of a percent (<0.5%) of people in the United States are affected by this hemochromatosis genetic disorder.

See the following link regarding Iron. This is a quote from the website: "The World Health Organization considers iron deficiency the number one nutritional disorder in the world [33]. As many as 80% of the world's population may be iron deficient, while 30% may have iron deficiency anemia [34]."

So how does USANA help the 80% of the world's population that may be iron deficient? This is what USANA has to say about it.

"If you have been diagnosed with an iron deficiency, dietary sources of iron should be increased and an iron supplement may be necessary. The best sources of dietary iron are meat, fish, and poultry (the darker the meat the higher the iron). Fortified grains and cereal products are also good sources.

Since USANA does not provide an iron supplement, ask your doctor or pharmacist for a recommendation on a brand and dosage." - USANA Health Sciences, Inc.

Interesting enough, USANA's answer is to shop elsewhere. In otherwords, USANA supplements do not provide for at least 80% of the world's population.


Not only that, but USANA spends practically nothing on Scientific Research and Development. Less than 1% of their net revenues goes towards R&D. In other words, the amount USANA spends on R&D is "insignificant". One can only wonder how Myron Wentz can keep a straight face when he says "I want you to be aware of the very serious commitment we have to research and development." - Myron Wentz http://www.usana.com/dotCom/company/science/index

Thank you for this information. Having recently been told I'm borderline anemic, I've been looking for a good multi-vitamin. I found a report that said USANA was the best, and yet after reading the ingredients I was very disappointed to find that they don't contain iron! It just makes me shake my head.

Oh well, I guess someone else will be getting my business.

You failed to say that Iron interferes with Calcium Absorption and should not be taken together and that most people are able to meet their nutritional needs for Iron with diet alone. Most people are not Iron deficient because of the fact that there are a lot of iron fortified foods that fill that need. You also failed to mention that Usana is partnered with the Linus Pauling Institute within the University of Oregon and donates no less that half a million dollars per year to nutritional research and development.

Usana is also inspected routinely by outside agencies to ensure pharmaceutical GMPs and is also ceritifed by the NSF, TGA, and informed-choice.org. Usana is also the official supplement supplier of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, because of the strict guidelines they follow. The products are trusted by the world's most elite athletes. Check out Sony Ericsson's own webpage and look for the Usana logo. It's there!

Angel Edfors RN, Director Usana Health Sciences

863-581-1726

Angel you failed to mention that the actual organization that ensures that companies manufacutre to Pharmaceutical GMPs is the FDA, which has never checked out USANA. Here's the fun part about USANA, they claim they meet Pharm GMPs because they're routinely investigated by the FDA. Who else is routinely investigated by the FDA and, therefore, also producing to Pharmaceutical GMPs based on USANAs logic? Well, Centrum for one and L'Oreal, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson and Herbalife, Melaleuca etc. etc. etc.

They're the official supplier of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour because they sponsor them. Heck, Whirlpools also a sponsor. Does that mean having a Whirlpool dishwasher's going to make me a first class athlete? Do me a great favour Angel and find me some actual legitimate proof that USANA has a great product. All kidding aside I'm open to any verifiable peer-reviewed study you can give to me which tests multiple products in a blind study and is done by a legitimate organization. Can you do that for me? Remember it has to prove that USANA far outstrips the competition. Happy hunting.

News: Apple Mac OS X Code Name Snow Leopard
Mesothelioma Information
Canada Immigration