Ah, yes here we are at Tianjiang Pharmaceutical Factory! Eric invited me to join him and check it out. On my way to the factory I thought about all those anatomy classes I had and how different it was to actually dissect a human body. Examining the human body in a textbook can't compare with actually touching tendon or cutting bones in half or opening the pericardium with my own hands! I was hoping that this factory tour would be a bit like that. All those herbs processed into granules... how fascinating! Well, the tour started with a short film about their high quality products, GMP standards and long legacy. Next, we started shuffling our way to the archives where they catalogue numerous copies of every batch of granules they make. That way they can back-date to a pervious batch for a number of reasons. Then, it was off to the laboratory where they use high-tech chromatographic equipment to analyze a batch of product. They use Gas Chromatography to test for pesticide content, TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) to determine species and potency. Tianjiang Pharmaceutical Co. does this with all their products, such as raw herbs, single granules and formulas. In the next room was a machine that detects heavy metals to test a batch of herbs before they buy it from a farm perhaps, and for consumer safety. Then we went into the processing rooms where they make special preparations to an herb like "dry frying" Hunag Qi and then re-testing it to see the chemical differences for data and research. We then left the building and walked over to a massive hangar or warehouse where they store all the final products before shipping. AHhhhhhh... Is that all? I has this fantasy of walking through the plant and watching the actual cooking process wearing a blue shower cap and baby blue slippers. Eric told me because of the GMP standards we couldn't actually be inside the processing plant... basically we would have to wearing a spacesuit. But It was still pretty amazing! I did walk away feeling totally happy about Tainjiang's quality and standards. I know Eric Brand has traveled all over the Asia researching herb processing plants and has deep knowledge on the subject of granules. His company "Legendary Herbs" gets their product form Tianjinag. If you're interested in purchasing herbs for your clinic, check him out at legendaryherbs.com. Eric Brand frequently posts articles on the Blue Poppy Publishing's blogsite at bluepoppy.com/blog/blogs/blog1.php
Eric Brand with Nigel Wiseman recently finished book called "Concise Materia Medica" you can check it out at paradigm-pubs.com/catalog/detail/ConChiMatMed
The events that had come to pass were fruitful and with a big hug I sadly departed Eric and stepped aboard a bus and made my for Hangzhou in Zhejinag Provonce.
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