Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (aka AFA or organic Wild Microalgae™) is a form of blue-green algae that can only be found in one place in the world - Klamath Lake in beautiful Southern Oregon. And what’s even more impressive is that it is Mother Nature’s most perfect superfood. Packed with nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants, adding organic Wild Microalgae to your daily routine is a no-brainer. However, harvesting this algae without compromising its dense nutritional profile is no easy feat.
Here at New Earth, we have been in the business of harvesting this amazing superfood since 1983, and we have perfected the process. Today, we take pride in the fact that we can use our efficient and eco-friendly process to harvest algae in a way that ensures we are retaining as much of its nutritional value as possible.
How do we do it? While we can’t reveal all of our secrets, here is a quick glimpse into our harvesting process.
Quality Control
To ensure we are gathering the highest-quality algae possible, we always begin our harvesting process with quality control. During this stage, our experts take samples of the algae directly from the lake. These samples are then tested to confirm the strain and nutritional value of the algae. This step also helps ensure that there are no contaminants present that could compromise the quality of the final product.
Once this step is complete, the actual harvesting can truly begin.
The Harvest
We have 3 harvesters that are specially designed for harvesting algae out of Klamath Lake. These eco-friendly machines were designed and built by engineers on our team who have been with us from the beginning, and they can efficiently remove algae from the lake without damaging its structural integrity.
Dewatering and Chilling
When the algae is pulled from the lake, a lot of water comes along for the ride. Although this water is what is needed for the algae to grow in the first place, it can cause the algae to become diluted after being harvested. To avoid this, the harvested algae goes through a dewatering process. This process allows us to obtain a more concentrated harvest while also helping to preserve the algae for future use.
Speaking of preservation, that’s the next step. After the algae is dewatered, it has to be chilled to preserve it for transport to our production facilities. This is done on-site by powerful machines that chill the dewatered algae to around 34 degrees Fahrenheit in about 30 seconds.
Processing and Temporary Storage
Once the algae has been chilled, it’s time to transport it to our production facility so it can be processed for use in supplements. To do this, the algae is pumped from the chilling unit directly into reusable, washable, food-grade tanks. These insulated tanks are then loaded onto a tanker truck that will deliver them directly to the production facility.
Upon arrival, the “liquid algae” in the tanks is processed through vibrating screens to remove any large particles before being sent to the plate freezers. In the freezers, the algae is frozen at negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of 10.8 gallons per minute, which takes approximately 2 hours total. This is where the algae is stored while it awaits the drying process.
Drying with Bioactive Dehydration ™
Organic Wild Microalgae contains many components such as vitamins, enzymes, and chlorophyll that begin to break down at high temperatures. To avoid this, the algae is dried using a low-temperature spray-drying process known as Bioactive DehydrationTM which dries the algae at temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius. Because the algae is dried at such low temperatures, it is considered a “raw food,” and it also meets the guidelines for both organic and kosher certifications.
Quality Control (Round 2)
In order to ensure that we are only putting the highest quality algae in our supplements, we put the algae through a second round of quality control before it is considered ready for production. As with the initial quality control, algae samples are taken from each batch and tested to ensure that the algae has maintained as much of its original nutritional profile as possible throughout the harvesting process. Once this step is complete, the algae is ready to be made into your favorite supplements.
The Certifications
Of course, our process wouldn’t be complete without the proper certifications. That is why the whole process from harvesting straight through to packaging is carried out in line with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) established by the Food and Drug Administration. Our facilities are also audited multiple times a year by the Oregon Department of Agriculture to ensure we are GMP compliant.
In addition, our process is also certified by Pro-Cert Organics, Canada Incorporated according to the requirements of the USDA National Organic Program and OC/PRO Canadian Organic Standards. Pro-Cert Organics, Canada audits our facilities, processes, and records annually. Star-K Kosher carries out our Kosher certifications, and the Halal certification is performed by IFANCA.