The best Spirulina brands are those that use organic, low-temperature processed algae. Spirulina is a blue-green alga rich in nutrients, which brings enormous benefits. Everybody who consumes Spirulina as a food supplement gets a tray of proteins, vitamins, minerals, pigments, enzymes, and amino acids.
The process of preparation of Spirulina biomass
The biomass of Spirulina is gathered from the pond whenever algae grow enough to pick it. The light and temperature are essential to the quality of algae.
The process of harvest consists of
- The culture transferred with a pump through PVC pipes
- The Spirulina goes to the dedicated building
- Here, algae passed through a series of stainless-steel screens
- Spirulina is rinsed and concentrated on the biomass
- The filtrate left from the last filtration of algae is transferred back to the pond
Drying and packaging of Spirulina
Spirulina is gathered from pounds. For example, the production facility Earthrise picks up to 3 metric tons of green-blue algae. Imagine what it could be if this algae would stay longer at the hot temperature without proper drying.
Drying
The economical solution to dry Spirulina is with the spray dryer. A freeze dryer would ensure better quality, but costs would rise immediately.
Spirulina droplets go to the drying room, where water evaporates fast enough without harming algae constituents.
The quick spray drying method guarantees that nutrients in Spirulina remain intact. There is no place for bacteria and molds.
Packaging
The dry powder is weighed and sealed using a vacuum to ensure the quality of Spirulina. Oxygen-barrier bags are used to provide the activity of nutrients. Containers are placed in cardboard boxes and fixed with tape. Labels on bags show the packaging time, weight, and lot numbers.
Safety measures are taken for the biochemical composition to ensure cross-contamination. These bags can stay up to four years without change.
The assurance of safety
All operations, such as receiving biomass, inspection, packaging, segregation, preparation, process, and product storage, are conducted according to safety rules and sanitation principles.
The quality director is responsible for approving and rejecting raw materials, packaging materials, and final products. Laboratories are used for testing the quality of Spirulina.
The consistent quality of Spirulina is ensured by chemical and physical analysis of algae powder. The excellent management of operations, documented and revised, ensures the product’s quality, composition, and safety.
Best brands of Spirulina
The best Spirulina brands are organic and produced using ethical manufacturing practices(cGMPs). These practices are promulgated under the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These laws ensure that methods and controls at facilities used for manufacturing Spirulina are safe for consumption. Spirulina is prepared and packaged under strict sanitary conditions.
The best brands of Spirulina are from Now Foods, OMG!, Earthrise, and Nutrex Hawaii. These brands are organic, non-GMO, and certified using labs.
Do you have a favorite brand of Spirulina? It would be great to hear from you. If you are interested in voicing your opinion, please comment below.