July marked a public awakening by the U.S. Pharmacopeia’s (USP) campaign launch of its dietary supplement (finished product) standards. With the popular video networking site YouTube at hand, the USP launched its first video that discussed the health benefits of dietary supplements for women and how the USP Verified seal would assist them when shopping for higher quality products. The USP extended its set of quality standards to not only cover individual ingredients, but also include manufacturers of finished products to follow guidelines that are recognized by the U.S. federal law per the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, an amendment to the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act. Through 3rd-party independent testing for quality features like purity, texture, moisture and potency, the USP has set scientific standards for dietary supplements that meet FDA, GMP and applicable ISO standards. Manufacturers may voluntarily participate in these standardized tests in order to have the USP’s seal of approval grace their labels.

In addition to YouTube, the USP plans to also use traditional forms of advertisements such as newspapers, network morning shows, women’s, family, fitness and health magazines. They will also use other popular networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to get their message out to the public about what consumers should look for in purchasing quality products.

Industry leaders such as Kirkland Signature, Equaline™, Nature Made®, and TrueNature® have all signed on and have been verified by the USP. These company’s products possess the official USP Verified seal consumers may recognize on the shelves of their local drugstore or supermarket. The USP seems to be taking an aggressive, but positive move to improving the quality of the dietary supplement industry and informing the consumers that it serves; an absolute win-win for the manufacturer and the consumer.

Sources: www.usp.org | www.usp.org | www.youtube.com