July 03, 2020
From seed to bottle
Since 1965, Flora has been providing Canadians with the very best in health supplements and natural foods. Family-owned and operated by Thomas Greither, a third-generation health entrepreneur, you could say this commitment to premium quality products and environmental protection runs deep in Flora’s veins. Flora doesn’t just speak about quality or environmental concern, it actively demonstrates it by integrating high standards from the raw material selection stage through production to the finished product.
Eco-Friendly Packaging & Innovation
Flora uses biodegradable packing materials and tea bags and prints on tree-free paper that uses waste from sugar cane and wheat straw rather than trees. The amber glass bottles with metal lids which Flora is famous for, are completely recyclable and help ensure the product inside is not contaminated by plasticizers.
As the company is continuously keeping environmental impact in the forefront of manufacturing processes, their latest research has led Flora to invest in a new packaging machine. This will allow them to offer products like probiotics in blister packs that have an even smaller carbon footprint than their glass bottles. These packs are lighter, use less overall material, take up less space, and consume much less energy both in production and transport.
Ecologically-sustainable Ingredients
Flora products also reflect their commitment to sustainability and the environment. FlorEssence® is an herbal cleanse that uses herbs grown on organic farms and Udo’s Oil® is a sustainable omega 3-6-9 formula entirely sourced from organic seed oils, rather than fish. For several decades, Flora has been producing organic flax oil, sourcing the seeds from Canadian farms in Saskatchewan, planting a long partnership and deep roots with the farmers.
Whenever possible, Flora sources certified organic ingredients, only purchases non-GMO raw materials and sustainably sources specific ingredients like palm, coconut oil and manuka honey. Using organic ingredients means supporting farming practices that employ natural pest control methods and supports the health of the soil and surrounding environment. Research shows that organic herbs, fruits and vegetables are often higher in nutrients like vitamins, minerals and flavonoid antioxidants. Flora also pioneered the use of algal sourced omega-3 products like our DHA Vegetarian Algae and Omega Brain+. Algal DHA and EPA omega-3 products are sustainable, don’t deplete fish stocks and don’t carry any concerns around oceanic pollution and contaminants.
In addition to sourcing non-GMO and organic ingredients, you can rest easy knowing that all of Flora’s formulations use the following quality-intensive attributes:
Vegetarian-sourced raw materials
Therapeutic amounts of active ingredients
No or minimal excipients
Traditional alcohol/water extraction media where possible
Vegi-caps for our dry powders and dry herbal extracts
This commitment doesn’t stop with their own products, but also extends to the brands Flora partners with. Floradix® Formula is a plant-based iron formula that has been on the market for 75+ years and Flora proudly distributes it in North America on behalf of Salus Haus, the German manufacturer. Salus Haus has long championed and pioneered a wide variety of environmental and sustainability initiatives and won several awards for its efforts in Europe. These include use of electric vehicles, using hydro-electric power, conserving land for “biotopes” and maintaining orchards and organic farms. Salus also belongs to the “Climate-Protection and Energy-Efficiency Group of the German Economy” which commits to targets revolving around energy efficiency and CO2 reduction.
Salus Haus and Flora are family owned companies truly committed to showing the world that care for the environment can go hand in hand with innovation and economic growth. Flora strives to remain a leader in the field of natural health products by staying steadfast in its commitment to its mandate of offering only premium quality products that positively impact people’s lives. From the initial raw ingredients, to the finished product, you can rest assured that Flora’s products truly do nourish the body and soul.