What is colostrum?

Colostrum is the pre-milk fluid secreted by mammalian mothers after giving birth. Colostrum acts to transfer valuable immune factors from the mother to the newborn. As our bodies age, we produce less of the immune factors needed to ward off disease and infection. Supplemental colostrum can help replenish these stores.

Why bovine (cow) colostrum?

Research shows that bovine colostrum is not species specific and, therefore, is effective in humans. In fact, bovine colostrum contains many times more of the immune factors needed than human colostrum. 

Do the newborn calves receive all the colostrum they need?

Yes, dairy cows produce abundantly more colostrum than a newborn calf can ingest. Dairy farmers know that the key to a healthy dairy herd begins with the calf consuming as much colostrum as possible. We use only the excess colostrum in our products.

Where does the colostrum liquid come from?

Proper Nutrition works in cooperation with La Belle, Inc., a USDA-registered establishment for the preparation of veterinary biological (pharmaceutical) products. We collect the liquid colostrum from almost five thousand approved dairies and 2.2 million head of dairy cows in a four-state region, representing North America's largest supplier of colostrum, as well as one of the largest and most respected colostrum production facilities in the world.

What quality controls are in place? 

We have a complete GMP and HAACP program in place, which applies stringent guidelines to our collection dairies. All colostrum must be collected and placed into sanitized single use containers and immediately transferred to a freezer to maintain product activity and quality. Freezing colostrum at this point does not reduce its dietary benefits and is necessary to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. The colostrum liquid is thermally treated by our proprietary low-temperature pasteurization process, which has been reviewed and approved by state and federal agencies. Our low-nitrite emission, top-of-the-line spray-dryers have been specifically engineered to dry colostrum with a minimum of heat exposure, thus assuring high activity of vital immune factors. Request a list of tests and procedures used to insure safety and quality for more information regarding laboratory testing.

Should I be concerned about possible antibiotic or pesticide contamination?

No. All of our colostrum comes from U.S. dairies that are closely monitored to assure product quality. Pesticide contamination of Grade A dairy cattle feed is tightly regulated in the U.S. Pesticide contamination in colostrum from U.S. sources is less of a concern than promoted by importers of foreign colostrum products. The U.S. dairy industry is a model of safety and quality for the rest of the world. Antibiotic usage is also tightly monitored. Beta-lactams are not allowed in the human milk supply in the U.S. Under state law, we must demonstrate that our colostrum for the human market is beta-lactam (antibiotic) free.

What about Mad Cow Disease (BSE)?

Proper Nutrition does not use colostrum from European or New Zealand sources, and BSE has never been detected in the U.S. Our dairies are tightly monitored, and the cattle that produce our colostrum liquid are never fed diets containing animal by-products, the known source of BSE contamination.

What is IgG? 

IgG is one of the five main classes of immunoglobulins (Ig) or antibodies that participate in immune function. It is an antibacterial, antitoxic, and antiviral protein, and is the only class of antibodies to transfer through the placenta. High concentrations of IgG are present in quality colostrum, like Colostrum 80/40^®, which is concentrated through the removal of fat, casein, and lactose to contain a minimum of 40% IgG by total dry weight. It is important to note that IgG is just one of many valuable immune factors supplied in supplemental colostrum.

I hear a lot about low-fat colostrum versus whole colostrum, what is the difference?

Whole colostrum provides the added benefits of fat-soluble nutrients and vitamins that are reduced or lost with fat removal, like lipoproteins and vitamins A and D. The benefit of a low-fat colostrum is that gram per gram you get a higher percentage of immune factors in the concentrated colostrum. For example, Proper Nutrition's Whole Colostrum typically provides 15% IgG by total dry weight, while our Colostrum 80/40^® is concentrated by the removal of fat, casein, and lactose, and provides a minimum of 40% IgG by total dry weight.

How does the potency of Proper Nutrition's colostrum compare with other products on the market? 

The immune potency of colostrum is often rated by IgG level, although many other important immune factors are also present in high-quality colostrum. Proper Nutrition always discloses its IgG content as a percentage of total dry weight. For example, Colostrum 80/40^® provides a minimum of 40% IgG by total dry weight. Many colostrum manufacturers may claim 40% IgG, meaning that 40% of the total protein content is in the form of IgG (immunoglobulins are a type of protein). This can translate into as little as 20% IgG by total dry weight. Proper Nutrition can reach such a high IgG concentration only by removing the fat, casein, and lactose from our colostrum to produce what we call Colostrum 80/40^®.

 For More Information, Please Contact:

Proper Nutrition, Inc.
P. O. Box 13905
Reading, PA 19612
U.S.A.
800-555-8868
610-939-0418 (fax)
www.propernutrition.com