NATURAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

NATURAL SEAL CERTIFICATION: TO PROTECT AND EQUIP CONSUMERS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR WELL BEING, NPA DEVELOPED THE NATURAL STANDARD AND CERTIFICATION FOR HOME CARE PRODUCTS. LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY 2010, THE NPA NATURAL STANDARD IS A SET OF GUIDELINES THAT DICTATE WHETHER A PRODUCT CAN BE DEEMED TRULY "NATURAL." THE STANDARD ENCOMPASSES HOME CARE PRODUCTS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, LAUNDRY DETERGENTS, AND CONCENTRATED READY TO USE HARD-SURFACE CLEANERS. UNDER THE PROGRAM, PRODUCTS CERTIFIED UNDER THE NPA NATURAL HOME CARE STANDARD CAN BEAR THE NPA NATURAL SEAL. UNTIL THE NPA STANDARD, THERE WAS NO DEFINITION OF THE TERM "NATURAL" USED BY THE HOME CARE INDUSTRY.SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONWITH THE LAUNCH OF THE BOA NATURAL STANDARD AND CERTIFICATION FOR HOME CARE PRODUCTS, CONSUMERS CAN LOOK FOR THE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE SEAL TO DISCERN WHICH HOME CARE PRODUCTS ARE TRULY NATURAL.

GMP CERTIFICATION: NPA HAS ALWAYS TAKEN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PROMOTING QUALITY STANDARDS AND HAS DEVELOPED PROACTIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR THAT PURPOSE. NPA WAS THE FIRST ORGANIZATION TO OFFER A THIRD-PARTY GMP CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND DIETARY INGREDIENTS. NPA ESTABLISHED ITS GMP STANDARDS FOR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS IN 1999 AND UPDATED THE STANDARD IN 2000. AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION, THESE GMP STANDARDS REPRESENTED TYHE INDUSTRY'S BEST PRACTICES AND SERVED AS THE BASIS OF THE NPA CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. IN JUNE 2007, THE FDA PUBLISHED THE FINAL GMP REGULATION SPECIFIC TO DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS (21 CFR 111). SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONIN ORDER TO KEEP THE NPA GMP CERTIFICAITON PROGRAM RELEVANT AND REFLECT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INDUSTRY GOOD MANFACTURING PRACTICES, THE NPA GMP STANDARD HAS BEEN REVISED TO TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE FDA GMP REQUIREMENTS OF 21 CFR PART 111 AND RETAINS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FROM THE 2000 VERSION OF THE NPA GMP STANDARD THAT EXCEED REQUIREMENTS OF THE FDA GMPS, OR REFLECT BEST INDUSTRY PRACTICES, AND/OR ARE NECESSARY FOR THE EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE TO THE NPA GMP STANDARD. NPA GMP CERTIFICATION IS AWARDED TO COMPANIES THAT MEET A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE TO THE NPA GMP STANDARD AS VERIFIED THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE THIRD-PARTY INSPECTIONS OF FACILITIES AND GMP-RELATED DOCUMENTATION.