With more than 350 years of combined industry experience, we’ve fielded a lot of questions from customers and suppliers over the years. Here’s a few of the most commonly asked ones, along with some straightforward answers. If you have questions that you can’t find the answers to here, we’re always happy to hear from you; feel free to contact us.
You keep saying you’re “ISIA Traceability Certified.” What does that mean, and what are the benefits?
The International Serum Industry Association (ISIA) is an independent organization of serum professionals dedicated to “uncompromised standards of excellence and ethics in the business practices of the global animal serum and animal derived products supply industry.” As a founding member of the ISIA, we’re proud to have been ISIA Traceability Certified since 2012.
What ISIA Traceability Certification means is that we have undergone an audit by a third party company approved by the ISIA to ensure that traceability of serum products is up to the highest industry standards, specifically as it relates to incoming material, shipments, and labeling.
What about EU certification? What are you EU certified to do? Are you EU 142/2011 and TRACES approved?
The short answer is yes, we’re USDA EU certified and TRACES approved. The specifics vary based on what we’re talking about. For incoming material, we currently have an extensive list of approved suppliers of EU eligible materials, with new suppliers being added all the time. (To ensure EU eligibility, please contact us before you order raw material for processing.) If your outgoing material is EU eligible, it will ship from our facilities with the appropriate statements to ensure continued eligibility. All donor horse serum produced at our Irwin, Missoui facility is eligible for export to the EU.
What serum testing do you perform in-house?
While we can arrange for custom testing to almost any specifications, our in-house serum testing includes hemoglobin, bacterial endotoxin, pH, osmolality, and sterility.
What sterility test do you perform?
Our sterility test is USP and EP compliant and is performed on-site in our sterile suite.
What if I need to have other tests performed?
We’re happy to help arrange for additional testing per your instructions. We can drop ship samples immediately after processing, whether they’re going to you or a contracted outside test lab.
Once processing is finished, how soon can the product be shipped?
Once it completes sterility, the product is eligible for immediate shipment unless it requires some form of additional testing, such as USDA safety testing for imported product.
Can you hold the product for me until my testing is complete?
Absolutely! We’re happy to store your product at our EU-compliant off-site storage facility, which takes advantage of a vast system of limestone caves (yes caves!) that have been repurposed as temperature-controlled and monitored storage, including freezer storage. Our storage area is also approved as a quarantine holding facility for holding material from USDA-approved countries. And don’t worry, your product will be kept safe and sound. In addition to the security precautions of the facility itself—and the fact that it’s underground!—our site is fenced and locked for added peace of mind.
What lot sizes can you filter?
We can currently filter lots of non-US origin serum up to 1500L and US origin serum of up to 2500L.
Is there a minimum purchase?
Absolutely not! We’re happy to process orders of any size!
How much filtered donor horse serum do you stock?
We do not stock filtered donor horse serum or any other filtered serum. We only filter products under private label and by customer specifications. We do stock unfiltered bulk (raw) donor horse serum, with samples available upon request.
Why do you dry lot your donor horses?
The short answer is that by controlling what the horses eat, we can help control the quality and consistency of our donor horse serum.
Are your horses harmed in any way?
Absolutely not! New horses are led through the process slowly so that they can adjust to the environment prior to ever donating. Our employees are well trained and handle each horse with care.
Do you really have 350 years of industry experience?
Yes, we do! While our dedicated staff only currently numbers around 25 people, our combined serum processing experience is substantial. What’s more, we love processing serum! We must, to have been doing it for a combined total of 350 years!