Files Comments With FDA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Natural Products Association (NPA) in comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a unified standard for certification bodies for natural products. NPA’s comments come in response to the Food Safety and Modernization Act’s (FSMA) directive for the Agency to establish a voluntary program for the recognition of accreditation bodies for compliance with safety regulations.
NPA expressed concerns that multiple third party certification programs could create confusion in the industry. NPA also reinforced the benefits of the Supplement Safety & Compliance Initative which is designed to streamline accreditation standards for the supplement industry.
“SSCI is the only comprehensive program to provide end-to-end transparency in the natural products supply chain,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD., President and CEO of NPA. “We created a system understanding that the FDA can’t solve all our problems. We set out to demonstrate to consumers and regulators that they can have confidence in the industry, and SSCI is the way we are going to achieve that.”
Key Objectives for SSCI
- Create effective global systems to ensure traceability, transparency & quality in the supply chain
- Reduce risks by ensuring equivalence between safety management systems
- Drive global change through benchmarking of domestic & international standards
- Eliminate redundancy in certification, improve operational efficiency & costs
- Provide a unique stakeholder platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing & networking
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Natural Products Association
The Natural Products Association (NPA) is the trade association representing the entire natural products industry. We advocate for our members who supply, manufacture and sell natural ingredients or products for consumers. The Natural Products Association promotes good manufacturing practices as part of the growth and success of the industry. Founded in 1936, NPA represents over 700 members accounting for more than 10,000 locations of retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids. Visit www.npanational.org.
