The newly developed ‘455’ standards incorporate current GMPs and regulatory requirements in addition to best industry practices per retailer requirements. This progression from the soon-to-be-obsolete ‘173’ certification supports a modernized approach to quality management, as the new national standard is a result of collaborative efforts among varying experts and industry perspectives following the ISO 9001 organization with the overall objective of improving product safety for consumers.

The new ‘306’ standards call for more proactive and demonstrable oversight and control by the manufacturer to ensure that the facility is free from substances prohibited in competitive athletics. This certification compliments Columbia Nutritional’s Informed Manufacturer certification to maintain an unparalleled commitment to sports nutrition and mitigation of cross-contamination from supply chain through production.

This organization combines the collective interests and perspectives of retailers, manufacturers, laboratories, and has established a unified certification program to recognize a select few third-party standards that meet their requirements for quality manufacturing – Including NSF-455. Our membership and active facility certification allow us to live into our value of transparency and integrity, and collaborate among other leaders in producing safe, compliant, and high-quality supplements for maximum consumer protection.

LGC’s Informed Manufacturer standards are focused on the facility’s ability to mitigate the risk of product adulteration and cross-contamination above and beyond the minimum requirements. With annual audits, equipment swabs for banned substances, raw material inventory review, and process evaluations, the certification allows for facilities to demonstrate their expertise in sports nutrition. Product contamination with athletically banned substances is a present-day risk throughout the supply chain, therefore our rigorous emphasis on product safety, purity, identity, strength, and composition evaluates each ingredient from supplier to finished supplement as one of a small number of LGC Certified manufacturers in the United States.

KO Kosher service has certified our facility for compliance with all applicable manufacturing procedures and product handling policies for production of Kosher products. This also allows for us to support product certification, as desired, for dietary supplements to be labelled as Kosher and Pareve for year-round and Passover use.

Recognized by the National Organic Program, our active certification with Organic Certifiers allows for us to work with brand holders to achieve official organic product certification and the ability to label products with the USDA Organic symbol. Annual audits with this third-party focus specifically on our ability to manage and control organic ingredients, manufacturing, and finished product labelling through every step of the process.

With quality and regulatory compliance at the core of everything we do, our Quality Systems include a robust collection of procedures and policies established to ensure consistent manufacturing of high-quality supplements. While the organization has been established for decades, our processes are continuously evaluated and evolved to stay at the leading edge of regulatory requirements, industry guidelines and best practices, and new scientific evidence.

Some examples of the foundational programs that are maintained for uncompromised product quality and safety include:

• Controlled Specifications for all Ingredients, Components, and Finished Products

• In-Process Specifications and Statistically Based QC Inspections

• Risk-Based Raw Material and Finished Product Testing

• Laboratory Qualification Program

• Allergen Control Program

• Food Safety Plan and Hazard Analysis

• Raw Material Risk Assessment Program

• Supplier Qualification Program

• Sanitation Program and Master Sanitation Schedule

• Cleaning Validation Program

• CAPA Program

• Routine Training for All Staff on GMPs, GDPs, and Food Handling, Handling, and Safety