All facilities and processes are integrated with quality to assure they are GMP compliant for allergenic source materials and are routinely inspected by the FDA. ALK Source Materials grows many plant species on their own 600 acre farm where conditions are ideal for plant growth and harvesting of high quality pollen. In addition to the farm operation, ALK Source Materials has laboratory operations where all products are processed and checked to assure the customer receives the best source materials available.
Experts take great care in nurturing the plants to ensure that they grow a healthy, sustainable crop. Working with agricultural products does not come with the same concerns any other farm would be faced with, including extreme weather conditions, pests, pathogens and parasites. Wind, rain and heat present unique challenges as the collectors try to gather as much materials they can, as quickly as they can. Despite these concerns, the scientists, agronomists, horticulturists and technicians at ALK have many years of experience developing contingency plans. By using multiple locations and multiple cultivars (sub-breeds) of allergens that pollinate at slightly different times, they go a long way to ensure that allergen extract production does not grind to a halt during weather disruptions. ALK also implements rotating fields to avoid cross-contamination.
