NSF’s dietary supplement standards for 2008 in-line with FDA

ANN ARBOR, Mich. NSF International on Thursday announced that the 2008 version of NSF’s American National Standard for Dietary Supplements now includes new good manufacturing practices requirements to ensure consistency with Food and Drug Administration regulations.

The FDA regulations take effect June 25, for companies who employ more than 500 employees; companies with less than 500 employees will have additional time.

“NSF is committed to keeping its standards in line with key regulations such as FDA requirements for GMPs and AER,” stated Jane Wilson, NSF director of standards. “That is why NSF/ANSI Standards are continuously being reviewed and updated to ensure that they are consistent with new legislation and the latest technical developments.”

“These requirements verify that manufacturers are in compliance, enable regulators to rely on independent certification, and help consumers make informed decisions when choosing a supplement with the NSF Mark,” commented Kristen Holt, senior vice president, NSF Dietary Supplements Programs. “The NSF Mark on a product demonstrates that the product has met and will continue to meet all program requirements.”

The new version of NSF/ANSI Standard 173: Dietary Supplements contains revisions to Section 8 GMP requirements that reference the new FDA requirements for both dietary supplement GMPs, as well as the Adverse Event Reporting requirements that went into effect in December.

These updates will also be incorporated into NSF’s Dietary Supplement Certification Program, which is based on NSF/ANSI Standard 173. Certification of products to this standard provides consumers confidence that what is on the label matches what is in the product. Certification also ensures that dietary supplements are produced in accordance with GMPs and are certified free of harmful contaminants.

To date, the NSF Dietary Supplement Certification Program has issued nearly 400 certifications of products that are sold worldwide.