Wilson Lau is president of the leading Chinese herb ingredient supplier, Nuherbs, and is the third generation of his family in the business. Lau has been a member of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Board of Trustees since 2008 and has held various leadership roles within that organization. He actively participates in botanical sustainability initiatives in China. He received a J.D from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2003, after graduating from Macalester College in 2000 with a B.A. in Economics and Geography. Lau was honored with the AHPA Herbal Hero award, which recognizes individuals who make outstanding contributions to AHPA committees or initiatives, in 2020. 

Health E-Insights (HEI): When you think back to your early years in the supplement business, what stands out the most? 

Lau: As the third generation of Nuherbs, I grew up in the business. I have seen almost everything from magic mushroom brew in the middle of Natural Products Expo West to the current fungi boom today. For those who are sincere believers in our industry, it has always been about recognizing that quality leads to healthy results. The true Northstar of wellness hasn’t changed, but the way it is quantified has. We believe quality accompanies two other legs, safety and sustainability, to make a tripod. To deliver on all three of them, we must collaborate with our partners. No matter how much circumstances and regulations have changed, we stay focused on that tripod to deliver herbal wellness. 

HEI: How has your business changed? 

Lau: With over 45 years as a third-generation-led legacy company, we have had to adjust multiple times through the decades. Over the past six years, the industry has dealt with deep uncertainty from multiple sources: the pandemic lockdown, then a shipping crisis, and now the tariff situation. It became clear that close communication with customers, as well as anticipating their needs and providing solutions, is essential.  

We have continued supplying our organic and conventional herbal ingredients to the industry, while also offering consulting services with our Bespoke Extracts program. We are helping clients develop new product formulas with custom-made herbal extracts that ensure efficacy and safety, no matter the finished product format.  

We also see areas of opportunity to provide plant-based and mineral supplement options to exotic wildlife, feed animals, and domestic animal markets, while offering education on supplement needs for individual species.   

HEI: What’s your scientific testing program like? 

Lau: Our testing program is quite robust. 

Purity and Potency: Our Master Herbalist makes the initial identification and selection of the best herbs, based on time-tested methods. Identity and purity of the selected herbs are confirmed via scientific analysis: Microscopy, Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and other “fit for purpose” technology.  

Safety: We screen for close to 200 pesticides, in accordance with guidelines set by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and the European Union (EU). Our herbs are also tested for heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, as well as a set of micro bacteria: total plate, yeast, mold, salmonella, and E. coli. 

Quality: Various indices are measured to ensure optimum quality of our herbs, such as water content, cut size, color, etc. From field to shelf, we have access and transparency to our farms from growth to harvest to processing. Our herbal quality and safety systems guarantee traceability in the supply chain, showing that they have been handled and processed properly through the entire process.  

HEI: Discuss your approach to sustainability. 

Lau: Our commitment to sustainability has always been an integral part of Nuherbs because we practice Geo-authenticity, which in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is called Di Dao (authentic source). This is the TCM principle that potency and authenticity of herbs harvested from where they naturally grow will be superior to that of plants cultivated in non-native locations, so those eco-systems need to be protected. We work closely with our raw material partners to ensure best agricultural and harvesting practices. 

Today, sustainability is a huge area of growth for Nuherbs. Last year we had our first FairWild Certification of an herb, Schisandra chinensis, with others now in the certification process. Many of our herbs are Certified Organic. Our San Leandro, CA warehouse is fully solar-powered. We have additional sustainability efforts in our warehouses and partner farms planned for the very near future. 

HEI: Are all your ingredients organic? 

Lau: We offer Certified Organic as well as conventional herbal and mineral ingredients. We started off as a TCM Herb supplier, which encompasses both. The wide range of ingredients to support the practice of TCM made it necessary to handle both organic and conventional because not all of the ingredients could be certified. As we expand our herbal portfolio beyond China to Peruvian and North American herbs, we are always looking at organic first, then conventional with an eye on how to transition.  

HEI: Any industry changes you’d like to see happen? 

Lau: I’d like to see more collaboration. We have seen so much more partnership in the industry over the last few years, which is a core value for us at Nuherbs. When you have a company with such a long legacy, you are naturally open to networking and helping companies find each other as needed. Need a contract manufacturer with lower MOQs? We know someone. Need a bar manufacturer who understands the effects of high temperatures on herbal ingredients and vitamins? We know someone. Competition is healthy for our industry, but we cannot thrive without collaboration. 

I would also like to see more companies get involved with our trade organizations, which are constantly advocating for us all on various topics that affect our industry. I’ve been on the AHPA board for many years, and can attest that the entire herbal industry, whether members or not, benefit from AHPA’s legislative and regulatory advocacy. By joining AHPA, a company materially supports that work, and will also benefit from the educational and relationship-building opportunities. 

HEI: How does Nuherbs give back to the community? 

Lau: Giving back to the community is yet another core value of Nuherbs. We do a range of things, from talking about herbs and plant-based nutrition at our children’s schools, which is super fun, everyone now knows how ginseng works and how tasty it can be, to the educational podcasts and white papers we offer to help our industry and customers better understand botanicals and their everyday uses.  

We also volunteer our time and expertise in the animal nutrition space, assisting exotic wildlife and domestic animal owners and caregivers with nutritional and supplement advice, based upon their ecological needs and plant-based diets. But one of my favorite things that I’ve done recently is convert my informal Herbal Lover dinner to a fundraiser for AHPA’s Education and Research on Botanicals (ERB) program to support the great work that they do to drive forward projects that are important for our industry like their work on OSHA.