The move comes hot on the heels of last week’s endorsement of the product label registry by the American Botanical Council, and shows the OWL is gaining momentum, according to a press release from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the trade association spearheading the OWL.
CHPA’s official support of the registry followed discussions between CHPA and its Dietary Supplements Committee, where the association and its committee members reviewed the rationale for the registry and the process by which labels would be submitted.
“When purchasing dietary supplement products, consumers have the right to expect those products are properly labeled and manufactured in accordance with FDA requirements,” said CHPA President and CEO Scott Melville.
“CHPA applauds CRN and UL for spearheading the Supplement OWL, which will prove to be a valuable resource for regulators, retailers and ultimately consumers. This self-initiated effort demonstrates a commitment by leading manufacturers to enhance transparency around lawful dietary supplement products.”
“Enhancing transparency”
Steve Mister, CRN CEO and president, welcomed CHPA’s support. “We’re heartened by CHPA’s recognition that the Supplement OWL serves as one means of enhancing transparency for the dietary supplement industry. We know that CHPA members share our understanding of the importance of transparency and want to be responsible when it comes to labeling.”
“We commend both CHPA and ABC for their support, and we thank those companies who have demonstrated leadership by having already submitted their labels and those who are in the process of doing so. From the beginning, we viewed this as an industry-wide initiative that will succeed only if a significant number of companies participate. We fully expect the registry will continue to grow as companies look for ways to demonstrate industry accountability to regulators and consumers.”
Tiers
The registry operates with two tiers: Tier 1 is basic product information is free for any company willing to supply the required information about its products and will be accessible online at no charge to the public. The information will include details about the product, including ingredients, brand name, allergen statements, number of servings and more.
Tier 2 will include other information that may be voluntarily submitted by each dietary supplement manufacturer. For example, manufacturers may choose to include information such as third-party cGMP certifications, product specifications, documentation of supply-chain and/or production sustainability programs, or other product credentials. Manufacturers have the option to determine who will have access permission to view the information submitted in Tier 2. This section will include a nominal charge.