Nature Made to take the USP test

Pharmavite, maker of Nature Made​ vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements, will become the first participant in a programme designed to build consumer confidence in dietary supplements.

The Dietary Supplement Verification Programme (DSVP) run by United States Pharmacopeia​ (USP) helps assure a product's quality, purity and composition through a rigorous inspection process. "We believe the DSVP mark will help safeguard consumers who use dietary supplements,"​ said John Fowler, USP chief operating officer.

"We're pleased to be a part of USP's effort to set high standards for our industry,"​ said Tom Zimmerman, Pharmavite vice president of business development. "Nature Made vitamin E was evaluated in USP's rigorous pilot certification programme and passed. We have committed to the USP DSVP on a broad assortment of additional Nature Made products and we look forward to being the first brand in the marketplace with the official USP verification mark."​

The DSVP verification mark will appear on product labels once the certification process is complete. During certification, USP analyses both the product and the manufacturing facility for the quality and integrity of its ingredients, and will ensure continued compliance with DSVP standards by conducting random tests after the mark has been granted.

The DSVP is also designed to complement the US Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation of dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). FDA has not yet finalised Good Manufacturing Practices for the industry.

Once a Nature Made product meets the DSVP's criteria, that product will be granted use of the DSVP verification mark for display on the product's front label, Pharmavite said. The company said it anticipated Nature Made products featuring the DSVP verification mark would be on sale by the final quarter of 2002.