GRMA Kicks Off New Standards in 2015

Global public health organization NSF International and leaders from major retailers and manufacturers created the Global Retailer and Manufacturer Alliance (GRMA) earlier this year to develop consensus-based standards for dietary supplements, cosmetics/personal care products, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medical devices. Combining retailer and regulatory requirements into a single standard and auditing program for each product category will help reduce audits and costs while strengthening safety, quality and trust throughout the supply chain. The first retailer standard is anticipated to be for dietary supplements and available in early 2015.
 
The GRMA team, led by quality and safety experts from leading supermarkets, drugstore chains, mass merchandisers and club stores including: Ahold USA, Costco, Daymon Worldwide, Walgreens, Walmart and Wegmans, developed a blueprint to create standardized requirements for each product category. Additionally, utilizing insights from industry experts such as the Council for Responsible Nutrition, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Nutrition Business Journal and NSF International led to the creation of formal ANSI standard notifications, the first step in the standards development process. NSF has a 70-year scientific and technical legacy in conformity assessment, compliance, testing and development of consensus-based standards and is recognized as such by the GRMA.
 
Working with the retailers and manufacturers in the GRMA as well as regulators and other testing laboratories, NSF will further define a standardized auditing approach focused on consistency, integrity, compliance and quality practices. The standards will utilize relevant regulations as a foundation while also encompassing additional retailer requirements. The applicable regulations will serve as a baseline for each standard including the relevant parts of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act and includes cosmetics/personal care products—specifically, ISO 22716 and US FDA Cosmetic GMP Guidance encompassing GMPs for the production, control, storage and shipment of cosmetic products.
 
 “Retailers meet regulatory compliance but are under constant pressure to reduce risk and protect their brands. Our goal at NSF International is to provide rigorous and robust standards to mitigate risk for both retailers and manufacturers while verifying that the highest safety and quality standards are met to increase consumer trust,” said Kevan P. Lawlor, NSF International President and Chief Executive Officer.
 
As an ANSI accredited third-party standards developer and product certifier for 70 years, NSF International has the technical expertise, industry knowledge and global capabilities to facilitate collaboration and develop standards that address each industry’s quality, safety and compliance needs. This includes a solid infrastructure with leading scientists, accredited chemistry and microbiology labs and former FDA employees. NSF conducts over 200,000 audits annually with auditors trained through the NSF Global Auditor Integrity Program and FDA Auditor Training Documentation.
“NSF International has proven this ability with the development of NSF/ANSI 173 for dietary supplements, an American National Standard that has set the bar of safety and quality in the dietary supplement industry,” said Loren Israelsen, President of the United Natural Products Alliance and internationally recognized dietary supplement expert. “A standard of this rigor and uniformity is what the industry will most benefit from.”