What Is GMP Certification?
All supplements should be GMP but what does GMP actually mean.
GMP simply means Good Manufacturing Practice and is an FDA regulated system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards set by the FDA.
It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any supplement or health food production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product. Unfortunately companies are not require to be GMP certified to sell supplements legally.
cGMP means Current Good Manufacturing Practice which means these companies are up to date with their certifications.
GMP covers all aspects of the production from the raw materials, the premises, and the equipment and even as far as to the training and personal hygiene of the staff. Detailed written procedures are essential and must be followed for each process that could affect the quality of the finished product.
There is also systems to provide documented proof to the FDA that the correct procedures have been followed at every step in the manufacturing of the product each and every time a product is made.
The FDA does GMP inspections on these manufactures and if they pass they become an GMP certified Facility.
Why Supplements Should Be GMP
Supplement labeling fraud is widespread and there are far to many supplements on the market that are not made in GMP facilities and that could mean the product you are buying isn’t what is seems to be.
The FDA and other sources continuously report supplements that are adulterated with dangerous compounds, may be contaminated, fail to contain the ingredients or the quantities listed on the label which means some products could be sold at toxic doses and produce harmful effects while other products may have such low doses that they are not effective at all.
Some examples of why consumers should be cautious of non-GMP supplements
- GNC, Target, Walmart and Walgreens selling bogus herbal Supplements – See Article
- Illegal drugs like methamphetamine, anabolic steroids and recalled or banned drugs found in supplements – See article #1,
- Fake and Counterfeit supplements being sold on Amazon – See Article
- FDA reports nearly 800 supplements found containing illegal drugs- See Article
Be Extra Safe With cGMP And Third-Party Tested Supplements
Just because a brand hires a cGMP contract company to make a supplement for them it doesn’t always mean that that product is perfect.
The cGMP company can falsify tests, not follow GMP guidelines for that supplement or use low quality raw materials.
Having an independent Third-Party testing facility test the finished products ensures the product is what it says it is and that it’s free of impurities. See our article on third party testing because we believe it’s the most important thing you should look for buying a supplement.
Buying from trusted reputable companies that use both cGMP and Third-Party testing also ensures a higher quality supplement. That is why we don’t only rely on GMP claims to ensure if a product is good or not.
A recent example of this was brought to the public’s attention in January 2020 when the FDA announced a contract supplement manufacturing company ( ABH NATURE’S PRODUCTS, INC, ABH PHARMA, INC., and STOCKNUTRA.COM, INC.) recalls up to 1200 individual supplements made for potentially hundreds of brands due to several violations of the cGMP regulations.
Watch Our For The Scammers
Scammers DO NOT follow the rules!
WARNING! Any company can put a GMP symbol on their product and say they follow GMP procedures even if they don’t. Of course, this is illegal but so are counterfeiters, products with unclaimed illegal drugs and supplements with fraudulent labels which is something that happens a lot in the supplement industry.
If a company has good intentions and claims they follow GMP guidelines or claims they use GMP procedures that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are actually GMP certified.
It may mean that they do or they try to follow the same procedures that an actual certified cGMP facility would follow but it does not necessarily mean their facility or their products are actually GMP certified by FDA and that they are regulated by the FDA agents to ensure they are following GMP guidelines.
Conclusion
If a product is not made in a GMP facility, is not third party tested and is not from a reputable brand it’s possible it may not be a safe or good choice and is a product we would never recommend.
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