In an update sent on Thursday, Dec. 18, AHPA noted that the new cGMP requirement is in addition to and separate from the testing requirements that Amazon announced previously for several problematic categories, including sexual enhancement, weight management, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, and joint health products.
Amazon will conduct outreach to covered companies as part of this phased rollout, stated AHPA. Companies contacted will have 90 days to initiate a documentation request with a TIC. In certain cases, if Amazon has already verified cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) compliance through third parties or public databases then outreach may not be required.
“AHPA is pleased to spread word of changes to the Amazon storefront that will, over time, further increase the platform’s accessibility for dietary supplements,” Robert Marriott, AHPA’s VP of regulatory and government affairs, told NutraIngredients. “We look forward to sharing additional details on these policies as they develop.”
More details can be accessed on Amazon’s seller central page.
Compliance Fast-Track program
Separately, Amazon has begun rolling out its Compliance Fast-Track program for certain dietary supplements.
“When you participate in Compliance Fast Track and your products are certified by our participating partners, we’ll automatically validate their compliance status, eliminating the need for you to submit compliance documentation,” states Amazon on its related seller central page.
This program enables Amazon to obtain required certification materials directly from partner organizations. For dietary supplements, the list of participating partners includes BSCG, Clean Label Project, GRMA, Informed, NSF, and USP.
“As the program expansion to dietary supplements is recent and some elements are in flux, interested companies are encouraged to learn more about any applicable limitations or requirements from participating partner organizations,” stated AHPA in its update.
“It is AHPA’s understanding that at this time, Compliance Fast-Track does not currently encompass the separately imposed, category-specific product testing requirements described above, but this situation is developing and may change. AHPA will continue its engagement with Amazon.”
Amazon was contacted for comment, but no response was received prior to publication.
Effectiveness?
Questions over the quality of some dietary supplement products have been raised repeatedly by Illinois-based NOW, which continues to conduct testing of select product categories (the most recent round – NOW’s 21st – focused on St. John’s wort)
Responding to the expansion news, Jim Emme, NOW’s CEO, told NI: “We at NOW are not surprised that Amazon is expanding the TIC program to more products because they had indicated their plan to do so more than a year ago. We have told Amazon leadership that we aren’t against the TIC program, but we do not see that it has been effective so far in preventing fraudulent products from being sold on Amazon. Perhaps this expansion will help, but that remains to be seen.
“Our continued testing of products has shown that fraudulent supplement products are still sold on Amazon by many of the same bad actors identified before in our previous tests. Amazon has indicated a willingness to work with NOW on this issue in recent weeks, and we continue to encourage them to do so.
“Meanwhile the TIC program seems to only work with the honest brands sold on Amazon.”
