GMP Certification

A Primer on Testing of Dietary Supplements

News Flash – August 2010: The Natural Products Association (formerly NNFA) has recertified NOW® Foods, Bloomingdale, IL as an "A-rated" GMP facility. This follows another rigorous inspection by an independent auditor for the Natural Products Association.

NOW Foods’ 250,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with complete Quality Assurance and Quality Control systems and processes has been GMP certified and “A-rated” by NPA/NNFA since 2000. Today, NPA GMP Certification includes all requirements for the new FDA dietary supplement cGMPs, and more.

NOW’s GMP certification covers standard operating procedures, employee training, product specifications, expiration dating, vendor certifications and much more. Standard operating procedures include sampling and testing incoming materials according to NOW Foods specifications, inspecting manufacturing processes, and testing finished products to specifications. Tests include organoleptic evaluation (human senses such as sight, taste, smell), physical testing of tablets and capsules, chemical identity of ingredients, potency and contamination testing by the company’s in-house state-of-the-art analytical testing lab, as well as microbiological testing by NOW Foods’ in-house rapid analysis microbiological lab.

"Our GMP certification by the NPA is a cornerstone of our commitment to quality,” said Michael Lelah, Ph.D., NOW Foods Technical Director. “As industry leaders in analytical and microbiological testing, we have the technical and professional personnel, lab facilities, standards and procedures to ensure the highest quality products. Our quality commitment also includes continuous improvement programs to get even better."