NSF launches 455 GMP Certification expanding its audit program to cosmetics and OTC drugs

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NSF International (Ann Arbor, MI) was recently accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board to certify manufacturers to the NSF/ANSI 455 GMP standard, expanding NSF’s dietary supplement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification program to include manufacturers of cosmetics, personal care, and over-the-counter products. NSF is the first independent certifier to begin auditing and certifying manufacturers of these products to the new GMP standard.

The NSF/ANSI 455 GMP standards were designed to strengthen safety, quality, and trust through the supply chain, as well as combine the regulatory requirements with retailer quality requirements, and reduce the number of audits and financial costs associated with audits. The new standards were developed over five years by NSF’s separate standard’s development arm by working with industry representatives, public health officials, regulators and consumer interest groups. NSF/ANSI 455 GMP standards include detailed requirements for dietary supplements (NSF/ANSI 455-2), cosmetics/personal care products (NSF/ANSI 455-3), and over-the-counter drugs (NSF/ANSI 455-4).

NSF International is currently transitioning its dietary supplement clients from the previous GMP registration program (NSF/ANSI 173 Section 8) to NSF/ANSI 455 GMP certification. The transition is expected to help reduce the annual audit burden to manufacturers.