USP
Quality Seal For Supplements Now On Store Shelves
Rockville
MD, 17 December 2002
Millions
of Consumers Will Have Confidence When Purchasing Supplements Verified
by Rigorous, Independent Testing Program
|
USP's
DSVP
certification
mark
|
Consumers
concerned about the quality and purity of vitamins and other dietary
supplements can now look for the United States Pharmacopeia's (USP)
new Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP) certification
mark on product packaging. The DSVP mark signifies that the supplement
has undergone rigorous independent testing and verification from
the same public health organization that has been setting medicine
and dietary supplement standards since 1820.
"Today,
USP is applying its scientific expertise and rigorous standards
to the supplement industry," explains John T. Fowler, chief operating
officer at USP. "By selecting a supplement with USP's DSVP certification
mark, consumers will have greater confidence in the products they
purchase."
Dietary
supplements, including vitamins, nutritional supplements and sports
nutrition products, consumed by about 151 million Americans who
spend about $17 billion annually. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) regulates these supplements as foods, not medicines. USP is
named in the law administered by the FDA as the nation's official
compendium for dietary supplement standards, although compliance
with these standards is voluntary, and not enforced by the FDA.
USP's
Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP) was first launched
in November 2001 to help inform and safeguard the growing number
of consumers who use dietary supplements. The program responds to
the need to help assure the public that dietary supplement products
contain the ingredients stated on the product label. If a product
submitted to DSVP meets USP's rigorous standards, it will be awarded
the DSVP certification mark.
USP's
Council of Experts will not accept dangerous products into the verification
process. However, no dietary supplement certification mark can accurately
verify health benefits or other nutritional support claims made
on product labels. USP encourages consumers to speak with their
physician or health care provider to evaluate their individual use
of dietary supplements.
However,
USP's DSVP certification mark does help to assure consumers, health
care professionals and retailers that a dietary supplement product:
-
Contains
the declared ingredients on the product label
-
Contains
the amount or strength of ingredients declared on the product
label
-
Meets
requirements for limits on potential contaminants
-
Has
been manufactured properly by complying with USP and proposed
FDA standards for "good manufacturing practices" (GMPs)
USP
is uniquely qualified to provide verification for dietary supplements.
Founded in 1820, the organization sets standards for the ingredients
and the processes for producing pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements
and health care technologies. In fact, during the organization's
first 120 years, USP established standards for more than 600 botanicals
and their preparations, and as early as 1942, USP began to develop
standards for vitamins and vitamin products.
Several
supplement manufacturers have already submitted products to be tested
and verified, and supplements with the USP DSVP certification mark
are now appearing on store shelves nationwide. Consumers can visit
http://www.usp-dsvp.org/ for additional information on DSVP and
to obtain a complete list of participating manufacturers.
USPThe
Standard of Quality
USP
is a non-government organization that promotes the public health
by establishing state-of-the-art standards to ensure the quality
of medicines and other health care technologies. These standards
are developed by a unique process of public involvement and are
recognized worldwide. In addition, USP has several other public
health programs that focus on promoting optimal health care, including
the Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP), Health Care
Information, and Patient Safety. USP is a not-for-profit organization
that achieves its goals through the contributions of volunteers
representing pharmacy, medicine, and other health care professions,
as well as science, academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry,
and consumer organizations.
Source
United
States Pharmacopeia (USP).
|