Global Supply Chain and NSF GMP Registration
Third party Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) auditing has emerged as an efficient and cost-effective component to a robust and effective supplier qualification system and a key strategy used by companies that are interested in expanding globally.
“Most manufacturers and brand owners do not have the in-house expertise or resources inspect every supplier to GMP standards themselves,” said Tom Kiningham, technical manager of NSF International’s Dietary Supplement Programs. “Flying your auditors to supplier facilities in various countries can get expensive so many companies opt for accepting suppliers that have been audited and registered to a third party GMP program. The dietary supplement industry has benchmarked this option as the responsible industry best practice. Earning GMP registration from an accredited, third-party organization like NSF International is the best way for you and your suppliers to demonstrate GMP compliance and prepare your facility for that inevitable visit from an FDA auditor.”
NSF GMP registration demonstrates that a supplier has been audited and found compliant to U.S. FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) GMPs by an accredited third-party organization like NSF International. To ensure continued compliance, NSF GMP registered facilities are audited twice annually. “Going with this option reduces duplicate audits, which helps your suppliers by limiting operational disruptions caused by GMP audits conducted by multiple parties,” Kiningham added. “Sourcing from NSF GMP registered suppliers also saves you time and costs associated with testing incoming ingredients. By not having to conduct additional audits, you can qualify your supplier much faster. It’s a winning option for both manufacturers and ingredient suppliers around the world.”
For more information, visit www.nsf.org.
