Harvey H. Ashmead, PhD, founder of Albion, was a trained pharmacist and biochemist who became interested in the field of nutrition while working as the head of pharmacy at Bushnell Hospital in Utah during World War II. He observed that burn patients were given amino acid protein drinks to assist in recovery; however, the drinks were so poorly formulated, they often made the patients nauseous. On his own, Ashmead worked to develop more palatable products, which took him to Mead Johnson and then Pfizer in the veterinary field. He eventually returned to Utah where he started Albion in 1956, and it remains a privately held company.

Albion’s focus was originally on veterinary pharmaceuticals, but it quickly expanded into animal nutrition. From that point, the company began to experiment with chelation to increase absorption of minerals in animal feed. This advancement that enhanced mineral absorption and animal performance pushed Albion to the cutting edge of mineral nutrition.

Around 1968, the company started initial clinical work and research into the applicability of its mineral chelates to human nutrition. After two years of investigation and positive clinical research, Albion started its human nutrition division in 1970. Since then, it has evolved to provide some of the most innovative mineral delivery forms in the global market.

“At Albion, we only put out the highest-quality mineral forms,” said Max Motyka, director of Albion’s Human Nutrition Division. “These products are technically more advanced than a standard mineral salt, meet the highest production and specification standards, and are backed by solid clinical research and product development.”

Commitment to Quality
Chelation is a time-intensive process—taking a minimum of two to 18 hours for the ionized mineral to stay in a chelating solution and for the chemical bonds to form between cation and ligand—and Albion holds several US patents covering the process.

Albion’s work raised the profile of chelates with consumers, opening the door for companies selling their own “chelates.” The company was a driving force in having the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) examine its research on its own, patented amino acid chelates, which the organization decreed were safe and effective.

Albion realized there was a need for an official definition of the term “chelate” to ensure both an even playing field and delivery of efficacious product to consumers. Motyka worked closely with the National Nutritional Foods Association (now the Natural Products Association), which passed an official definition in 1996.

Albion Today and Tomorrow
More recently, Albion developed a new brand name program—TRAACS®—for its patented line of mineral amino acid chelates, which reflects the aggressive approach the company has taken as the absolute leader in mineral amino acid chelate research and production.

“TRAACS, the real amino acid chelate system, is a program that refers to the brand name of our chelates, as well as a new patented laboratory testing method for the determination of the identification and the quantification of the degree of chelate present in the product,” said Motyka. “No one has ever developed a way to identify and validate a mineral amino acid chelate in a single test.”

The test is performed using FT-IR technology, which basically produces a fingerprint of the amino acid chelate being tested. Each mineral amino acid chelate has its own FT-IR pattern, and Albion is using this test as one of its quality control release specifications. The results are reported on each certificate of analysis for Albion’s TRAACS products.

The company intends to take the science and technology behind mineral amino acid chelates even further. Albion is certified ISO 9001:2000 and cGMP. It is also the first ingredient producing company to produce an SIDI website (standardized information on dietary ingredients), which is a cross-industry trade association concept.

“We are working toward becoming the first company to achieve total GRAS status for all of our chelates,” said Motyka. “We already have the only mineral amino acid chelate to be judged as GRAS for all applications in the USA (Ferrochel®). All of our chelates have their dossiers in with the EU, and Ferrochel® has become the first mineral amino acid chelate to gain EU approval.

“We will continue to support clinical research on the use and effects of minerals on the health of all living forms: Man, animals and plants,” Motyka added. NIE