As part of the ongoing effort to improve and standardize the animal health supplement industry, NASC initiated its Quality Seal Program. All NASC members are required to undergo a rigorous independent audit of their facilities. Upon completion of this audit, members are then able to use the NASC Seal of Quality to display their commitment to the “highest current standards of quality in the industry today.” The Seal is a way for consumers to know that when they buy a product, they buy from a reputable company that has successfully completed a facility audit. Different from the NASC logo, use of the Seal is a privilege for members and signifies that the company has been audited for implementation of specific standards.
NASC member companies are required to demonstrate compliance with the following criteria before they are granted permission to display the Seal on their products, websites, product literature and advertisements:
- The company must have a Quality Control Manual in place that provides written Standard Operating Procedures for production process control. This helps ensure the company is providing a consistent and quality product.
- The company must have an Adverse Event Reporting/Complaint System in place to continually monitor and evaluate products and ingredients.
- The company must follow proper Label Guidelines for all products and all forms of labeling.
- The company’s product labels must include any specific Warning and Caution Statements recommended by the Food & Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and the NASC Scientific Advisory Committee for particular ingredients.
The importance of NASC and its comprehensive audit program is to help minimize and control risk, keep the consumer educated with correct labeling information, and make the consumer aware of any possible ingredient complexities with caution and warning statements. Ultimately, the entire program is designed to help elevate the quality of the animal health supplement industry for the benefit of all stakeholders including consumers and, more importantly, the animals themselves.
Consumers should look for the NASC Quality Seal. Purchasing products from NASC members is the best way consumers can support efforts to improve the quality of animal health supplements and ensure the continued availability of these products in the US market.
