Natural Products Association Certified Manufacturing

A Natural Products Certified manufacturer shows that your business is committed to continuing high-quality measures. If you are looking for a company to handle your supplement manufacturing needs under the NPA’s standards, we can help.

natural products association certified manufacturing

With multiple facilities around the country and a large supply chain, we can meet any level of need. We also offer access to other certifications and a wide range of ingredient and packaging choices.

What Is the NPA?

The Natural Products Association is one of the biggest and oldest nonprofit organizations that is designed to promote high standards for the natural products industry. The NPA started in 1936 and has more than 1,000 members that span more than 10,000 qualified locations. These are some important facts about the NPA:

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  • It deals with supplements, natural nutrition, home care products, sports products and more.
  • It is known for its strong lobbying on Capitol Hill to promote beneficial changes.
  • It is a well-known advocate for public safety.

Types of NPA Certification

According to its site, the NPA offers five separate types of certifications that span products and manufacturing processes. These are some of the main points to know about each certification.

Natural Seal Personal Care

Ingredients in personal care products with this certification must include substances that are recognized by the FDA as generally safe. Also, products must fit these criteria:

  • Should not use animal testing.
  • Should be made up entirely or mostly of natural ingredients.
  • Should use packaging and ingredients that are biodegradable.

Natural Seal Home Care

Home care products include cleaning solutions, laundry detergents and similar products. They must also contain all or mostly natural ingredients. These are some additional requirements:

  • Should have scientific and peer-reviewed research to reflect any health or environmental risks.
  • Should include biodegradable ingredients and responsible packaging.
  • Should not use animal testing if it is not required by law.

Informed Choice

This certification is useful for companies that manufacture sports supplements, and it is recognized in multiple countries. It offers the following benefits:

  • Gives athletes the assurance that only the listed ingredients are included in their supplements.
  • Provides verification of enhanced levels of quality assurance.
  • Provides assurance that ingredients are not contaminated or impure.

GMP Program

This is especially important for supplement manufacturing companies. NPA was the first entity to offer GMP certification for dietary supplement manufacturers, and the certification is still highly respected today. GMP standards were established in 1999 and were updated again in 2007. These are some points to understand about this certification:

  • Reflects the 21 CFR, Part 111 regulations of the FDA.
  • Reflects additional requirements from the NPA GMP Standard of 2000, which exceed those of the FDA.
  • Certification is only awarded to companies that meet the highest levels of GMP compliance.
  • Comprehensive facility inspections are performed by third parties to ensure accurate documentation and full production compliance.

The goal of the program is to create a certification that includes a wider array of compliance measures to yield a higher overall standard.

TruLabel Program

In 1990, this program was established to boost confidence in label accuracy. The program maintains a database of products and ingredients, and it randomly orders testing of products to ensure accuracy. These are some of the selection methods that are used:

  • Selections based on complaints.
  • Selections based on popularity of product types or merchants.
  • Selections of random categories.

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How NPA Certification Works

Suppliers, manufacturers and retailers can apply to gain certification. There are different application sections on the company’s website for each type of entity.

Certification Process for Manufacturers

This is a basic overview of the steps for certification:

  • Submission and review of application for certification.
  • Remedying of any potential issues and preparing for inspection.
  • On-site audit process.
  • Meeting any recommendations of auditor.

If the manufacturer is in compliance, certification is granted. However, future inspections are necessary to maintain the certification.

Maintaining Certification

Unless there are other issues, an audit is conducted every two years for a manufacturer to maintain certification. In addition to this, the entity must do the following:

  • Consistently follow membership rules.
  • Comply with regulations at all times.
  • Pay an annual certification fee.

How the NPA Handles Problems

During an audit, a performance rating is assessed for compliance measures. An A is the best grade in a rating. In addition to this, the NPA auditor will provide specification for any deficiencies. These are the basics to understand about the three levels of deficiencies:

  • A minor deficiency is a deviation from standards that will not cause harm or make a product unusable.
  • A major deficiency is a substantial nonconformance that relates to procedures, documentation or GMP requirements and could be harmful.
  • A critical deficiency is a severe deficiency that presents unsafe conditions or could lead to a recall situation.

Critical and major deficiencies are enough to prevent an A performance rating. If a company has several minor deficiencies and a major deficiency, this could also prevent an A rating.

Appeal Filing

If a company does not receive an A performance rating, the entity may appeal the decision. It may also file an appeal based on audit report remarks. For the appeal to be accepted, it must:

  • Be submitted in writing.
  • Be addressed to GMP Advisory Committee c/o Natural Products Association.
  • Include any applicable fees.
  • Specify objections and details of contested remarks or ratings.

The NPA typically reviews appeals within 30 days.

Why NPA Certification Is Important

As a supplement retailer, how your customers perceive your products is important. Many people recognize the NPA marks and trust the organization because of its lengthy history and high standards. These are some benefits of having your supplements manufactured under NPA standards:

  • You have an advantage in a fast-changing industry.
  • The NPA stays current with legislative issues and scientific developments.
  • The NPA provides expert guidance for label accuracy, regulatory protection and more.
  • Certification can help protect your reputation and your future revenue.
  • You reduce risks of recalls or other quality issues that could cause business interruptions.
  • The NPA listens to your suggestions about regulatory issues and is known for taking serious issues to Capitol Hill.
  • NPA standards are designed to help you train your staff and customers about the organization and its impact.

Why Work With Us?

We take compliance measures to maintain certification seriously. In addition to having the benefit of supplements with the well-respected NPA manufacturing certification, these are some other benefits of choosing us:

  • We have an excellent support team, and you have your own account executive.
  • Our product portfolio includes 95% of supplement types and packaging options.
  • Our team can also handle your R&D, flavoring, formulation and other needs.
  • Excellent customer service is our top goal.

Our facilities have helped large Fortune 500 companies and businesses of all sizes. We can provide documentation for ingredients, testing and other factors if you need them. Please contact us to discuss your NPA-certified supplement manufacturing needs.
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I was choosing between two companies to create a formulation, and it came down to their level of service, expertise and confidence in their ability to execute. After speaking to Phil, their lead guy who knows all things supplements and is very easy to communicate with, was enthusiastic and helped to create a strategy to see my vision through. The last thing you want is a transactional relationship in this industry, so whether you’re a first timer or a veteran, these guys know how to add value no matter what level you’re at. Highly recommend Superior and their team to get the job done.
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When they say “Superior” they aren’t kidding. Of over 100 companies on our NSF list that we called, and over 20 that we talked to, Superior was the ONLY one that consistently answered their phones, worked incredibly diligently to problem solve and R&D an incredibly complex patented proprietary product, and consistently was two or three steps ahead of us, the landscape and their competitors. Looking forward to a long relationship Superior!
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We’ve been using Superior for over 5 years. We came to them because our last manufacturer stopped making the capsule size I needed. I looked everywhere for a replacement. Luckily, I found Superior. They quoted me a fair price and sourced a hard to find ingredient quickly. In the 5 years we’ve had them make our product, which is a custom formulation, they have never delivered late once. Quality control is very high and I get constant updates from Phil our point person while it is being manufactured. I cannot recommend them enough.
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Our previous manufacturer was 3 months late on a production and barely spoke with us. We have run many runs with Superior and as with all manufacturing, there was an order that was a little late because of poor crop growth. Not only did they warn us ahead of time they showed us the list of suppliers they were calling day and night to try to find replacement material. Best company ever!
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Jake, Justine and Phil are just a few of the team members we have had the pleasure of working with at Superior. As a marketing agency working in the supplement industry, we work with many suppliers on behalf of our clients. I especially appreciate Superior Supplements Manufacturing because of their dedication to customer relationships. They go to extreme measures to ensure quality ingredients, fair pricing and great turn around times. The staff is also extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this team.