If you have never looked for the little cGMP label on a supplement bottle before, you should. Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) refer to a set of supplement quality standards enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a time where up to 76 percent of Americans are consuming dietary supplements, it is increasingly important to advocate for transparency.1Any supplement that is stamped with the cGMP label is required to be held to certain standards, but do cGMP labels matter and are they really that important?
When you purchase supplements off the shelf, it is difficult to imagine how they are produced when bottles are covered in pictures of fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables. As a consumer, we don’t have a way of easily inspecting the quality of a supplement just by looking at it. It is difficult to tell if a supplement truly contains what it claims to. According to the FDA, “CGMPs provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. Adherence to the CGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers of medications adequately control manufacturing operations.”2
Another benefit of purchasing from a cGMP certified supplement company is assurance of government and regulation. When a participating company doesn’t comply with cGMP guidelines they are subject to recall requests or public warning from the FDA. The FDA can also issue a seizure or injunction case in court to address violations. However, even if a supplement is not cGMP certified they may still meet high quality standards, but the ones that proudly contain a cGMP label have gone the extra mile to prove to their customers they care about quality. If you aren’t sure whether or not your supplements are cGMP certified, reach out to the supplement company or visit their webpage. Don’t forget to ask the hard questions, your health matters!
Sources:
- Facts About the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs). S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing/ucm169105.htm. Accessed July 26, 2018. Published June 25, 2018.
- Dietary Supplement Usage Increases, Says New Survey. Counsel for Responsible Nutrition.https://www.crnusa.org/newsroom/dietary-supplement-usage-increases-says-new-survey. Accessed July 26, 2018.
