Nutritional science for mind health products
DSM Nutritional Products
A series of contamination cases involving Chinese imports have recently affected products including pet food and toothpaste. As a result, manufacturers have been feeling the pressure to demonstrate to consumers that they source responsibly.
There is ample room for organizations to promote their services using fear tactics directed at consumer perceptions hinging on media stories. However, in the promotion of its testing capacity, NPA is steering clear of laying blame.
"You can get quality ingredients from China," Daniel Fabricant, NPA vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, told NutraIngredients-USA. "I don't think there's any doubt about that."
Instead, NPA is emphasizing its services as a safeguard
"By testing raw materials in China, we're adding another layer of consumer protection to a process that has delivered good health products to Americans for generations," said David Seckman, NPA executive director and CEO.
As part of NPA's announced program, US Pharmacopeia will test the raw materials in its Shanghai, China laboratory.
According to the association, the strength and novelty behind such a system is having the testing take place directly in China. It says this system means US manufacturers no longer have to rely on Chinese laboratories to test materials, or for companies themselves having to test samples once they arrive in the US.
"This is a way of warehousing data on which are the companies that are recognized as being good suppliers," said Fabricant.
In April, wheat gluten products imported from China for use by the pet food industry were found contaminated with the banned chemical melamine and were blamed for the deaths of hundreds of dogs and cats.
Regulators then discovered the pet products had been fed to hog herds and millions of chickens, leading to fears the contamination would spread further to the human food chain.
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) subsequently gave inspectors the power to detain all vegetable protein imports from China for use in animal or human foods if they suspected the products might contain the chemical.
However, NPA says the launch of its China-based testing program has been under development for a year and the association does not appear to be directly pointing the finger at Chinese ingredients.
"Dietary supplements are safe today, and this will help make them even safer," said Seckman. "This program is an innovative response to a growing challenge in the global food supply chain - how to make sure what reaches the shelf is safe, high-quality, and what it claims to be."
NPA says this process could reduce transit times and costs, as well as favor greater traceability and documentation of ingredients used in the supply chain.
The launch of the testing program also coincides with FDA's recent issuance of the new Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements. While GMPs do not apply to raw materials or their suppliers, the onus is on supplement manufacturers to make sure the materials they use are safe.
The aim for supplement manufacturers is that new regulations and the pressure of increased consumer awareness will weed out those companies that have not been sourcing safely or not using solid science in their product development.
"The combination of the new FDA rules and the testing program will greatly strengthen quality assurance and consumer confidence," said Seckman. "It's really a one-two punch to keep America's dietary supplement supply safe, effective and of the highest quality."
In order to specifically address the testing needs for China, NSF International recently expanded its Shanghai laboratory's services for the screening of melamine and other toxins. The process is set to involve raw materials, ingredients and finished products destined for export.