BSCG September Newsletter
Sep 15, 2020
Banned Substances Control Group
It’s Food Safety Education Month—A Good Time to Highlight Third-Party Certification
September is National Food Safety Month in the U.S. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements differently than either conventional foods or drug products.According to the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA),manufacturers and distributors of supplement products are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. “That means,” the FDA says on its website, “that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.”
That’s one reason certification of supplement products by a top third-party certification provider like BSCG is so critical. Each of BSCG’s programs—BSCG Certified Drug Free, BSCG Certified Quality, BSCG Certified GMP, and BSCG Certified CDB—can help finished product brands, manufacturers, or ingredient suppliers meet and exceed compliance requirements in the U.S. and standards like them in other countries. Our programs apply to dietary supplements, sports nutrition products, natural products, as well as functional foods. Third-party certification is a great way to demonstrate a commitment to quality control and transparency. Help us celebrate Food Safety Education Month by highlighting the importance of third-party certification.
Transparency and Quality Initiatives Can Deliver Significant Returns in the Covid-19 Era.
In the Covid-19 era more and more consumers are taking direct responsibility for researching and exploring their own nutritional products. The adjustments in consumer demands requires changes from all of us in how we deliver information to constituents and what we focus on in marketing. Thankfully, third-party certification is an excellent way to showcase your commitment to quality and rise above others in the industry.
Transparency initiatives have also proven to have significant value in attracting consumers and can deliver a surprising return on investment. A study from Purebranding.com, The ROI of Transparency: A Consumer Market Research Study, demonstrates the potential benefits of transparency initiatives like thirdparty certification. Consider the following…
“When Gaia Herbs implemented a transparency program, their sales skyrocketed 3x over the next four years. Which was a smart move. Because one in five of U.S. consumers choose a transparent brand as their first choice.”
We look forward to working with all of our clients to continue to highlight the importance and benefits of third-party certification and how it can fulfill the consumer demand for more transparency and higher quality products in the Covid-19 era.
Don’t let this scenario happen to you! Brand owners need to take responsibility for compliance and ensure they are meeting requirements. Manufacturers need to be aware of the renewed FDA focus on enforcement of product specifications, testing, and labelling and review and improve procedures in that regard.
We are here to help. All of BSCG’s third-party certification programs for finished products and ingredients include an initial evaluation of labels and the quality control process to ensure compliance is in order.
For manufacturers, BSCG offers theBSCG Certified GMP program, which provides onsite audits to assess GMP compliance. BSCG goes beyond the usual checklist, taking a deep dive into the most common violations seen in FDA compliance over the last decade. At BSCG we add significant value by providing benefits not available elsewhere. We offer a two year audit timeframe and allow downstream clients to license the BSCG Certified GMP seal for use on packages and marketing materials as long as your facility remains certified.
Our one-of-a-kind BSCG Certified CBD program offers a complete compliance solution to the CBD product industry. The program ensures consistency in the final product with ongoing testing for cannabinoids, banned substances in sport, and other environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, solvents and microbiological agents. The initial certification process confirms that suppliers are qualified, and a proper quality control process is in place as well as reviewing product claims and labels. This analysis is conducted in consideration of both GMP compliance for dietary supplements and American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Recommendations for Regulators and Guidance Policy for the cannabis and hemp product industry
As Covid-19 continues to affect public health and economies across the globe, no industry remains untouched by this international crisis. Join CRN (the Council for Responsible Nutrition) and Natural Products Insider for an upcoming webinar with a select panel of experts who will share insights on navigating the sports nutrition marketplace in a changing landscape.
BSCG President Oliver Catlin and other top industry experts will discuss a wide range of subjects relating to sports nutrition and supplements in the current environment. This two-hour webinar will take place on the new date of October 1 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. For more information and to register, visit Natural Products Insider here.
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