Shuster Labs offers testing for Chinese sourcing
supplement manufacturers ensure their imported ingredients are
safe, following safety issues with products of Chinese origin.
Shuster Laboratories of Massachusetts, has announced a new program to help manufacturers that are sourcing their ingredients or products from China and other offshore locations. The is latest in a series of announcements from both testing companies and supplement manufacturers alike that have been timed with contamination scares over imported ingredients. Attention has been drawn to Chinese imports after contamination cases involving products from pet food to toothpaste emerged. This has left manufacturers who buy ingredients from the country under pressure to demonstrate they are sourcing responsibly. "Whatever the outcome, the cost of not evaluating your company's risk is higher than identifying potential problems and fixing them," said Kaveh Afshar, COO of Shuster Laboratories. This scare has opened the door for testing bodies to promote their services and for manufacturers to market themselves by differentiating their ingredients from those who maybe do not source with a fine tooth comb. "Recent quality and safety issues with products sourced in China have amplified concern among the industry and consumers," said Afshar. "If a food or dietary supplement company is buying ingredients overseas, directly or through an agent, then they must have a program in place to ensure product quality and safety at all critical points in the supply chain." Shuster has invested in a specialized testing laboratory at a 30,000 square foot Shanghai facility - owned by its parent company STR Group - which it says will support its new Global Sourcing Quality Management Program. According to the company, STR has had quality assessment laboratories in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China since 2003, employing over 500 professional and technical staff in the country. As part of its service, Shuster is offering risk assessments and traceability programs to determine whether there are gaps in a company's supply chain, as well as testing and plant auditing services. "The first critical step for companies is conducting a risk assessment," said Afshar. "From there, they can build an effective safety program to ensure that the quality and safety requirements for sourced ingredients and products are consistently being met." Another group to recently enhance its ability to test ingredients derived from China is NSF International. The organization added a new testing service in China for the purpose of analyzing products or ingredients for the presence of melamine. In April, wheat gluten products imported from China for use by the pet food industry were found to have been contaminated with the banned chemical melamine and were blamed for the deaths of hundreds of dogs and cats. As part of this expansion, NSF said its Shanghai laboratory is expanding its services and local auditors will inspect facilities to screen for melamine and other toxins. This process is set to involve raw materials, ingredients and finished products destined for export. "Relying on vendor certificates of analysis or reputation is not adequate," said Afshar.
