Comprehensive Testing - NOW® Foods Greece

JMN - Join Molecular Nutrition
JMN Pharmaceutical SA is a Greek company operating in the field of dietary supplements and, more broadly, in the healthcare and wellness sector. Its main activities focus on the development, commercial promotion, and distribution of pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical products, as well as products for special dietary needs.

JMN Pharmaceutical SA was established in 2008 in Ioannina, Greece. The company's rapid growth led to its expansion into the Industrial Area of Ioannina (B.I.PE.), where its warehouses, covering a total area of 1,200 sq. m., were located until the end of 2016. Subsequently, the warehouses were relocated to Mandra, Attica, where they remain today. The company's accounting department and order processing department remain located in the center of Ioannina.

In 2008, the company's sales department, based in Athens, was added to its operations. The department is responsible for promoting the company's products through both retail and wholesale channels, in Greece and abroad. In 2014, the Research and Development (R&D) Department was established, with the aim of developing and producing products featuring high-quality and innovative characteristics.

Today, JMN Pharmaceutical SA operates both in the Greek and international markets.

Activities

The activities of JMN Pharmaceutical SA in Greece include the import, export, distribution, and trading of pharmaceutical preparations, organically produced products, and dietary supplements. The company holds the exclusive rights for the marketing and distribution of NOW^® Health Group products in Greece and Cyprus.

According to SPINS^ΤΜ, NOW^® Health Group is one of the leading companies worldwide in the dietary supplements sector. It is an American company engaged in the production of natural products, including dietary supplements, natural foods, sports nutrition products, herbal extracts, essential oils, natural sweeteners, dermocosmetics, and other products. At the same time, the company places particular emphasis on social and environmental responsibility.

In addition to being the exclusive representative of NOW^® Health Group products, JMN Pharmaceutical SA also offers a range of products under its own brand name, NATURA VITA, featuring innovative formulas developed by the company's Research and Development (R&D) Department. These products are marketed both in the Greek market and in international markets, including Italy, among others.

Indicatively, the NATURA VITA product range includes:
- NATURA VITA Dietary Supplements
- NATURA VITA Protein Foods
- NATURA VITA Healthy Foods
Services - Facilities

JMN Pharmaceutical SA remains committed to the values it established from the very beginning of its operations. The services it provides include ensuring the high quality of its products and their effectiveness for consumers who need them.

Detailed product inspections and the determination of scientifically substantiated expiry dates constitute an integral part of the company's operations, contributing to the maintenance of product quality throughout the storage period. The facilities housing the company's warehouses comply with strict storage standards for food and dietary supplements.

JMN Pharmaceutical SA has obtained a quality management system certification in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard, while the certification is reassessed on an annual basis in accordance with the requirements of the applicable ISO 9001 standard.

Objectives

The objectives of JMN Pharmaceutical SA include promoting innovation and establishing cooperation agreements with new companies of high scientific standing. At the same time, a key priority is the continuous renewal of its product portfolio through the development and distribution of modern and innovative products.

In an international economic environment characterized by continuously changing consumer preferences, demand for products that have undergone the necessary quality controls is showing a steady upward trend. Consumers increasingly place particular importance on:
- the quality and reliability of products,
- the variety and innovation of available products, and
- the ease of distributing products between countries.
Despite the economic challenges faced by the Greek market, JMN Pharmaceutical SA continues to expand its product portfolio, aiming to meet the needs of even the most demanding consumers while maintaining its commitment to quality and the consistency that characterize its operations.

Values

One of the fundamental principles of JMN Pharmaceutical SA is consistency and reliability towards its customers and partners. Therefore, the company is committed to ensuring:
- continuous scientific and technological progress,
- the maintenance of high quality standards,
- the development of excellent relationships with both customers and partners, and
- the creation of an excellent and supportive working environment for its employees.
Corporate Social Responsibility

JMN Pharmaceutical SA is a company that meets the necessary standards to be regarded as an example of corporate social responsibility. Financial transparency, compliance with national and international accounting standards, as well as initiatives undertaken by the Sales Department, constitute key elements for adherence to good business practices and compliance with the applicable code of ethics. It is also worth noting that the company's practices and initiatives significantly exceed the minimum requirements established by the legislative framework at both national and international levels.

Comprehensive Ingredient & Finished Product Testing

Our investments in staff, instrumentation and facilities allow us to perform comprehensive ingredient and finished product testing. In fact, NOW performs more than 16,000 analyses and tests per month. We test each of our incoming raw materials and ingredients, in-process ingredients and finished products. We test to meet cGMP standards. NOW tests ingredients for these key attributes - identity, purity, potency, and composition. Very few natural products manufacturers perform finished product testing in-house due to the exorbitant cost and investment required. Our dedication to comprehensive testing sets us apart from other natural product manufacturers.

These same investments help us provide the outstanding value for which NOW has become known. Ownership of our own laboratories and instruments, coupled with our technical staff, allows us to test and analyze faster, be more responsive and adaptive and provide fresher products at reduced costs due to higher turnaround of finished products. The contract laboratories that many other manufacturers rely on are becoming harder and harder to find and their lead times for analyses are becoming longer, which increases costs that other manufacturers then pass on to retailers and consumers. NOW’s long-term planning is positioning us for continued growth while protecting the quality and value consumers have come to expect from NOW® products.

Methods Development

The development of scientific methods is the basis for all modern science. Methods development is the process of discovering new and improved ways to perform scientific analyses. This branch of science requires advanced analytical thinking and an excellent grasp of scientific analyses, current methods, instrumentation and our natural products. NOW’s Methods Development group is at the forefront of method development for natural products and dietary supplements. They also focus on modifications to existing methods that apply to our products in order to increase testing efficiency and improve fill rates.

This group is credited with the development of a new analytical technique for the determination of glucosamine, entitled Determination of Glucosamine in Raw Materials and Dietary Supplements Containing Glucosamine Sulfate and/or Glucosamine Hydrochloride by HPLC with FMOC-Su Derivatization. This method was adopted as an AOAC (Association of Analytical Communities) First Action Official Methodsm.

This method has become an internationally accepted standard method for the testing of glucosamine products.

NOW’s Methods Development group has also developed methods for Chondroitin, S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe), Arginine and Stevia, as well as a method for accurately detecting unwanted adulterants such as pharmaceuticals, drugs, steroids and toxic substances.

Our Methods Development group also focuses on modifications to existing methods that apply to our products in order to increase testing efficiency and improve fill rates.

Our Production Capabilities and Statistics

With the most extensive product line in the industry, NOW’s manufacturing and production capabilities are second-to-none.

Statistics

In 2012 NOW Foods packaged 38 million units using 20 different production lines
NOW produced over 1.2 billion capsules and over 400 million tablets in 2012
In 2013 we increased our encapsulation capacity by 70% compared to 2012 and we increased our tablet production by 25%

Capabilities

20 different production lines running six days a week over three shifts
Encapsulation, tableting, liquid, powder, packet, lotions & creams and food production lines
The complete line of NOW Real Teas are produced at our Bloomingdale facility
2013 marks the commencement of softgel manufacturing at our Western Operations Center in Sparks, NV

NOW operates a sophisticated liquid packaging line that allows us to perform precise bottle fills across a wide range of products including herbal extracts, essential oils, shampoos and conditioners, mouthwash, skin care oils and much more.

With more than 1,400 products, four different categories and an average of three new products per month, NOW’s production capabilities truly are second-to-none in the natural products industry.

From the purchasing of raw materials to the shipping of finished goods and every step in between, NOW employees are passionate about the quality of our products.

JMN - Join Molecular Nutrition