The seal assures consumers that the product was produced by a reputable manufacturer that has successfully completed an independent facility audit, according to the trade association.

NASC member companies must demonstrate compliance with the following criteria before receiving permission to display the seal on their product labels:

• The company must have a quality manual that provides written standard operating procedures for production process control.
• The company must have an adverse event reporting/complaint system in place to continually monitor and evaluate products.
• The company must follow proper label guidelines for all products.
• The company must include any specific warning and cautionary statements recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and the NASC Scientific Advisory Committee.

Purchasing products from NASC members—representing about 65 percent of the multibillion dollar animal supplement industry—is the best way for consumers to ensure the continued availability of the supplements, said NASC.

Earlier this year, NASC launched a grassroots campaign aimed at consumers and members of industry to enlist support for regulatory changes that would facilitate sale of the products. Currently the industry operates under ad hoc, patchwork regulatory policies.

For more information or to review the NASC member list, visit www.nasc.cc or call (760) 751-3360. [December 2004 PET AGE]