Recently on the CBS Evening News, a statement was made by Dr. Jennifer Ashton that when choosing supplements, consumers need to look for a USP label, which attests to purity and quality. USP is a voluntary testing and auditing program that helps dietary supplement manufactures ensure the production of quality products for consumers. Available worldwide, the program verifies the quality, purity, and potency of dietary supplement finished products. While this is true, USP isn’t the only third-party testing and auditing organization that can verify the quality of vitamins and health supplements.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP): A system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. The GMP program is designed to minimize the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product. GMP covers all aspects of production from the starting materials, premises and equipment to the training and personal hygiene of staff.

GMPs for dietary supplements, which were issued last year, are specific rules for the manufacturing processes of vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids and other nutritional health products like omega3 supplements, glucosamine and chondroitin. These rigorous practices impose higher standards on supplements than food GMPs apply to traditional foods.

Swanson Health Products is committed to maintaining the highest quality products and the utmost integrity in business practices. Since 2001 Swanson Health Products has voluntarily participated in independent third-party Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audits, long before the FDA released their final regulations for the dietary supplement industry. Read more about Swanson Health Products' quality control standards and procedures that ensure the purity and potency of all our products.