Probiotic Manufacturing

From our Family to Yours — Probiotic Supplements are the Foundation of Your Health

NATREN, Inc., headquartered in picturesque Westlake Village, California, is the leading manufacturer of probiotics worldwide. Internationally recognized for its pioneering work and research in the nutritional supplements industry, Natren produces the finest quality probiotics, or "beneficial bacteria".

With humble beginnings in the home of husband and wife team, Yordan and Natasha Trenev, Natren was destined for success because of Natasha Trenev's background. Her family supplied yogurt to King Peter II and continuing generations of the royal family of Yugoslavia, where she was born. Natasha's parents decided to come to the United States when she was eight years old. Almost immediately upon arrival, her father founded Continental Culture Specialists.

After graduating from UCLA, Natasha followed a generations-old tradition and joined her family's business, which benefited from her enthusiasm for several years. She then took her knowledge of live cultures, and expanded her work. Knowing that the bacteria used to produce yogurt could fight existing ailments, she set out to offer these bacteria in a concentrated, more potent form than found in foods. Natasha called these bacteria "probiotics" which means "for life".

Yordan Trenev was also familiar with the benefits of certain bacteria; he had also worked at Continental Culture Specialists. Certain that his wife's business venture would succeed, Yordan worked diligently to support the operation. Despite working full-time, he drove many miles each day to transport the dry ice needed to keep the bacteria viable in the Trenev's home.

Today, Natren owns the pharmaceutical-grade building in which the company's probiotics are produced. In keeping with their commitment to excellence, Natren's International GMP certification (audited by Australia's TGA: Therapeutic Goods Administration) guarantees the ingredients and potency listed on the product labels. Without independent audits from government agencies that enforce the International Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention Standards (PICS), other companies' GMP certification cannot guarantee the same degree of product quality.

Thirty-three years of growth are also apparent in other ways. Instead of the two employees with which it began, Natren now boasts a staff of 50+ employees and has an extensive product line of more than 70 products.

With the surge of interest in holistic approaches to health and the focus on preventive care, Natren's impact on the health industry continues to multiply. Natasha is consistently asked to educate medical professionals around the world about the benefits of probiotics. She is recognized as the expert and lone authority in the use of probiotics to help with occasional digestive issues such as indigestion, gas, bloating, and constipation. Natasha's work is so respected that her probiotic production standards are currently cited as the Probiotic Industry Standards. Natasha was invited to speak at the World Health Organization's Congress of Health in Adelaide, Australia.

"Probiotics are my life's work, and I consider this approach to be the most important healthcare concept of the 21st century. People don't realize how important beneficial bacteria are to human health and longevity. Antibiotics, stress, pollution and food contaminants destroy good bacteria in our bodies and may make us vulnerable to infection and disease," explains Natasha. "Probiotics will increasingly become the supplement of choice for ensuring health."

Natren relishes its role as the leader in the probiotic industry. Led by Natasha and Yordan Trenev, the company actively seeks opportunities to inform the public about "friendly bacteria" and change the prevailing perception that all bacteria are bad. "In 1960 and 1970, we were going to food shows introducing people to yogurt. People in the United States and Canada did not know what yogurt was, let alone that it was considered the world's oldest health food. Now yogurt is in every store," Yordan remarks. "We want to do the same with probiotics. We want everyone to know what probiotics are within the next few years." Evidenced by the company's immense growth and its support among healthcare professionals, Natren is making impressive progress toward this goal.