Industry moves to regulate the term
“Metal Amino Acid Chelate”
The NNFA Definition:
“Metal Amino Acid Chelate is the product resulting from the
reaction of a metal ion from a soluble metal salt with amino
acids with a mole ratio of one mole of metal to one to three
(preferably two) moles of amino acids to form coordinate
covalent bonds. The average molecular weight of the
hydrolyzed amino acids must be about 150 AMU (Atomic
Mass Units) and the resulting chelate must not exceed 800
AMU. The minimum elemental metal content must be
declared. It will be declared as a METAL amino acid chelate;
e.g. Copper Amino Acid Chelate.
Adopted by the NNFA Board of Directors July 1996
NNFA Today, Pg . 15, Aug 1996
What is an Amino Acid Chelate?
Chelation occurs when a cation (M in the figure) is held by ionic and
coordinate covalent bonds from the same molecule (ligand). The
ligand backbone isolates the cation from reactions with other
compounds. Two amino acids can chelate a single polyvalent
cation resulting in a bicyclic, dipeptide-like structure which resists
gastric acid hydrolysis and intestinal enzyme cleavage. The metals
in these chelates are typically absorbed by active transport at
jejunal dipeptide absorption sites. When such a chelate is ingested,
intestinal uptake is significantly greater than for corresponding
amounts of ingested inorganic metal salts.
Kosher Certified
All Albion
material has
been certified
as Kosher
parve by
KOF-K.
GMO Free Statement
“Genetic modification is not part of the process
Albion Advanced Nutrition uses to manufacture
its mineral products. Certain finished products
may contain small amounts of formulation aids
comprised of materials derived from corn.
However, such formulation aids do not contain
any intact proteins or DNA. Consequently, Albion
products either 1) have no GMO content or 2)
lack sufficient genetic material to determine GMO
content using currently accepted GMO testing
procedures.”
January 23, 2002
Albion Advanced Nutrition, a leader in mineral amino acid chelate production, is
pleased to announce Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Registration through the
NSF International’s Dietary Supplement Certification Program. Albion Advanced
Nutrition successfully met all requirements included in NSF’s GMP Registration
Program. For almost 50 years, Albion Advanced Nutrition has been the leading
producer of totally reacted mineral amino acid chelates. Albion Advanced Nutrition
is a leading provider of these unique mineral forms, along with mineral premixes,
granulations, and contract specialty minerals.
GMPs are regulatory requirements that provide guidelines for necessary processes,
procedures and documentation to assure the product produced has the identity,
strength, composition, quality and purity it is represented to process. NSF conducted
a plant audit to verify compliance with the GMPs and will conduct periodic audits at
Albion Advanced Nutrition to ensure continued conformance. GMPs for the current
NSF Dietary Supplement Program are included in the NSF American National Standard
173-Dietary Supplements, the only American National Standard for Dietary
Supplements.
Albion Advanced Nutrition’s GMP registration reflects their continued commitment to
ensuring quality and satisfaction and gives companies confidence that our
organization operates in conformance to established GMPs. For meeting GMP
requirements, Albion Advanced Nutrition receives a NSF GMP Registration Certificate
and is listed as such on the NSF website (www.nsf.org).
Albion Advanced Nutrition feels that the NSF GMPs Certification is a significant
validation to the overall goals of our manufacturing – providing consistent and
validated mineral forms that are safe and effective. NSF’s history in the area of Public
Health and Safety is what lead us to working with NSF International in this pro-
consumer effort.
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by
certifying products and ingredients, while writing standards for water, food, air, and
other consumer goods. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public
health and safety around the world. NSF collaborates with the World Health
Organization Collaborating Center for Food and Water Safety and Indoor
Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water
industries, management systems registrations delivered through the NSF International
March 8, 2005, Human Products Division Strategic Registrations, Ltd., organic certification provided by Quality Assurance
International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.
Quantification of Chelation
For the first time ever, Albion has developed and has had been accepted by the
AOAC (Association of Analytical Chemists) a test that verifies, not only the
presence of mineral amino acid chelate, but can quantify the percent of the
ingredient that is a true mineral amino acid chelate. The science behind this
testing will allow manufacturers and marketers of products containing mineral
amino acid chelates to test ingredients that claim to be mineral amino acid
chelates, and determine whether, in fact, they have a chelate, and the
percentage of the mineral that is actually chelated. The fact that the AOAC has
accepted this procedure for presentation at its annual meeting, this September
in St. Louis is a true breakthrough. It is the first time that a scientific
organization has accepted a procedure for this purpose – Ever!
Albion Advanced Nutrition believes that this will be an industry-changing
occurrence.
September, 2004
Here are a few things that make
Albion’s mineral chelates stand out:
Albion possesses over 100 patents in the field of
mineral technology.
Only Albion mineral amino acid chelates have been
given CAS Registry Numbers.
Only Albion mineral amino acid chelates are Kosher
Parve.
Albion metal amino acid chelates have been
chemically validated, and consequently, are the only
known chelates that meet the NNFA definition.
Virtually all published research on metal amino acid
chelates has been done using Albion metal amino
acid chelates.
GMO free
They are hypoallergenic and vegetarian friendly
What Makes Albion Chelates So
Effective? They are nutritionally functional!
A nutritionally functional chelate, in addition to
meeting the basic chelate requirements, must:
Have a molecular weight under 800 daltons - proper
size.
Be electrically neutral, non-ionizing, and less reactive.
Have proper stability constant – stays intact in the
absorptive gut area.
Have an easy to metabolize ligand – better nutrient
density.
Amino Acid Chelate Molecule
Mineral
Amino Acid Ring
Amino Acid Ring
A comparison of mineral nutrients
There are so many sources of minerals to
choose from: amino acid chelates, sulfates,
carbonates, picolinoates, Kreb’s cycle, rice
bran chelates. . .How do you know which
mineral is best?
GI
MINERAL BIOAVAILABILITY TOLERANCE SAFETY
Albion AAC Very Good Very Good Very Good
Salts Poor-Adequate Poor-Adequate Poor-Adequate
Gluconates Poor-Adequate Adequate Adequate
Citrates Poor-Very Good Poor-Adequate Good
Picolinates Poor-Adequate Very Good Questionable
Bran Chelates Poor Adequate Adequate
Krebs Cycle No Data No Data No Data
Calcium Absorption
Effects of Manganese Amino Acid Chelate
on lymphocite MnSOD activity
Changes in erythrocytes Cu-Zn SOD activity
following copper supplementation
b
c
a
a P<0.001 Significant difference from controls
b P<0.05 Significant difference from puresuplementation
c Significant increase from presupplemented arthritics (P<0.001)
DiSilvestro, et al., J Am Coll Nutr 11:117, 1992.
Mean 51 Cr absorption into rat blood from
Cr(III) chloride, Cr picolinate, Cr polynicontinate, and
Cr nicotaniamide glycinate chelate
57.5% Nicotinate-
Glycinate chelate
37.5% Picolinate
Ashmead S, Proc Int. Conf on Human Nutr, Salt Lake City, Jan 1995.
LD-50 studies comparing mineral salts to
Albion® Amino Acid Chelates
Mineral interactions
S P Co
F
W
As
Fe
Cl
Se
Zn
Na
Mg Ca
l Ag
Mo
Cd
K
Be
Mn Al
Cu
How does one
evaluate Albion
chelates against
other mineral forms
in the marketplace
which also talks of
availability?
Simply ask the following
questions:
Are the minerals truly chelated to amino
acids or just complexed by mixing trace
minerals with protein?
Does the product have stability when
subjected to various pH ranges found in
digestion (2.0 – 7.5)?
Is the mineral product small enough in size
allowing unhindered movement through the
intestinal wall?
Does the product have test data to show it
really works?
Is it expensive?
Bottom line
Albion mineral amino acid chelates are:
Most bioavailable
Easy to tolerate
Safe
100% in nutrient density
Superior in physiological activity
Non-interactive
Of proper stability constant