The Natural Products Association Preserving Quality In The Market
Formerly known as the National Nutritional Foods Association or the NNFA, the Natural Products Association is the biggest and the very first non-profit organization that represents the interests of both retailers and makers of natural products. The natural products industry has indeed grown over the years, as has the popularity of natural products like organic foods, cosmetics, dietary supplements as well as sports nutrition products.
The Natural Products Association claims to be the advocates of the general consumers? rights to be provided with products that will improve their health and well-being, and of the manufacturers and retailers to distribute and sell these products. The organization has been very active in the industry of producing and selling natural products, launching various programs aimed to keep the quality of the organic products in the market high.
The most significant programs implemented by the Natural Products Association are the Natural Seal, GMP Certification, TruLabel, and China Testing. The NPA Natural Seal assures the public that what they are buying is made up of at least 95% ingredients from natural sources, not including water. Products with the Natural Seal are those that don?t use harmful ingredients, don?t undergo animal testing, and are contained in mostly biodegradable materials. Up to now, only home care and personal care products may be certified.
Meanwhile, the GMP or good manufacturing practices program was launched by the Natural Products Association to make sure that the manufacturing and distribution of dietary ingredients and supplements are according to the standards set by the NPA. The safety and quality of the dietary supplement industry are then maintained by the NPA through the random testing of the member companies. This process conducted through a label registration and random testing program called TruLabel.
Finally, the Natural Products Association introduced a program that tests raw materials from China to make sure they are all pure and safe to use. Through this program, the manufacturers in the US are able to check the quality of Chinese raw material even before the shipment. The test results are then made available to all NPA members, which is a crucial consideration for any contractual decisions.
