Not All Mussel Powders Are Alike

Whilst the green lipped mussel undoubtedly has anti-inflammatory properties, published research has been inconsistent in its findings.

This is because the anti-inflammatory agents in the mussel have two enemies:

• Oxygen degradation, which increases over time until most mussel powders are rendered inactive
• Heat, applied during the manufacturing process

Most of the mussel powders available in New Zealand are affected by one or both of these factors. These powders are either not protected from oxygen degradation or heat is applied in the manufacturing process, for example steam opening the mussels.

Through rigorous scientific research in conjunction with scientists in Japan and Australia, Maclab overcame the degradation problem in the late 1980s when it developed a unique stabilization method which was patented and is today used in the manufacture of our stabilised mussel powder.

Maclab's stabilised mussel powder has peer reviewed published research to back up its claims. Please visit the Research section of our website.

Maclab is the only manufacturer in New Zealand to open its mussels and extract the fresh meat using High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology. HPP does not apply any heat to the mussel and the freshness is retained, resulting in a superior product.

Why is the HPP product superior?

There are three methods of extracting flesh from the mussel before it is made into powder:

• Steam opening the mussels, which destroys the anti-inflammatory activity of the final product because of heat
• Crushing the whole mussel in its shell, and then centrifuging it in an attempt to minimize the shell content in the finished powder
• High Pressure Processing (HPP) to shuck the mussels fresh

The problem with steam opening the mussels is that heat renders the finished product ineffective. The problem with centrifuges is that there is inevitably some shell residue in the finished powder. Shell has no nutraceutical value whatsoever. Only HPP delivers the benefits of separating the mussel from its flesh without the application of heat. Only Maclab uses HPP to manufacture stabilised mussel powder.

Maclab is a vertically integrated company. We own our own mussel farms and the harvesting barges that service these farms. We harvest the best mussels indentified by our patented screening technology. No other mussel powder supplier in New Zealand has this degree of control over the quality of the mussels it processes.

Extract from Butters DE and Whitehouse MW. Treating Inflammation: some (needless) difficulties for gaining acceptance of effective natural products and traditional medicines. Inflammopharmacology 2003 Vol. 11, No. 1 pp. 97-110

"Case 2: N.Z. green-lipped mussel (Maori medicine)

• Products with claims to treat arthritis come in three formats:

1. A stabilised powder from fresh frozen mussels (Maclab, Nelson NZ) was clinically proven in arthritis (Gibson and Gibson, 1981, 1998)
2. Non-stabilised powders; one product (McFarlane Laboratories, Auckland NZ) was clinically trialled without success (Huskisson et al., 1981; Caughey et al., 1983; Larkin et al., 1985).
3. Heat-processed materials, mainly used for flavourants.

Type-2 unstabilised products, widely sold in NZ and overseas, still claim activity based on the proven performance of stabilised type-1 product. The labelling includes such spurious claims as 'the number one green lipped mussel product' or implied activity because it 'contains glucosamine and omega fatty acids'; even though these biochemicals are abundant in so many pharmaco-ineffective products......unscrupulous marketers in Europe have added a vegetable / fish oil to Type-2 product and claim it is a mussel lipid preparation, i.e. implying it is another Lyprinol."

If you want to purchase an effective anti-inflammatory mussel powder make sure your supplier

• Owns its own mussel farms to ensure quality control of the raw material
• Does not apply heat in the manufacturing process
• Does not use centrifuges which result in shell in the powder
• Opens its mussels using HPP technology
• Has subjected its stabilisation process to rigorous scientific scrutiny
• Has clinically trialed their mussel powder

Remember, not all mussel powders are alike.