At Novel, we audit and inspect each offshore factory that we deal with, setting specific quality benchmarks for every aspect of the manufacturing process.  We don’t do this long distance.  We travel to Asia several times a year.  In fact, our president has made more than 60 trips over the past 15 years to personally conduct factory audits, inspect harvest sites, and help our Asian sources maintain and constantly improve their manufacturing standards and quality controls.  It is this partnership approach that produces the superior quality and consistency of Novel ingredients, while ensuring that all of our raw materials remain competitive in price.