An NASC Membership: Enhance Your Credibility & Reap the Benefits

If you’re a member of the pet care industry or even a pet parent, you’ve likely seen the yellow NASC Quality Seal on animal health and nutritional supplements. What is the NASC and its Quality Seal?

The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) is a nonprofit trade association whose mission is twofold: to promote the health and well-being of companion animals and horses given animal health and nutritional supplements by their caretakers, and to protect and enhance the animal health supplement industry. The NASC Quality Seal is a third-party certification that carries with it credibility and understanding that companies displaying it are responsible suppliers committed to quality, transparency and continuous improvement within their companies and their industry.

The NASC Quality Seal cannot be purchased. To earn permission to display the NASC Quality Seal on products and marketing materials, an NASC member company must pass a comprehensive third-party audit every two years and maintain ongoing compliance with rigorous NASC quality standards.

The first step toward earning the Quality Seal is for the company marketing the animal health or nutritional supplements to become a member of the NASC. The company must submit a formal application and agree to comply with the requirements of membership by signing the NASC Member Accountability Guidelines and be approved for membership by NASC.

Upon joining, the member company can begin work toward obtaining the Quality Seal, a process that can take about four months from start to finish. It is important to understand that the member company is known as the “Supplier of Record,” whether they manufacture their products or have them contract manufactured and, as such, are responsible for every aspect of compliance with NASC requirements.

The NASC Compliance Team kicks off the audit process by training the member company on labeling, claims, adverse event reporting, and quality control requirements. The team also reviews the member company’s documented standard operating procedures, checks for labeling and marketing compliance, and verifies that the company has entered its products into the NASC Adverse Event Reporting System (NAERS).

Next comes the on-site audit, which requires a deep dive into the member company’s quality control system and documentation. The member company must demonstrate that it has established and follows strict procedures for every aspect of production, from sourcing raw materials to the final packaging of the product. This includes implementing robust quality control systems, documenting their verification of processes their vendors perform, and maintaining detailed records of all aspects of their operations.

Any deficiencies found during the audit are communicated to the company, who has 60 days to submit corrective action and close their audit. Upon satisfaction of these requirements, the NASC Compliance Team issues the final audit report along with the company’s official audit certificate, which is valid for two years. At this point, the company is approved to display the NASC Quality Seal on their product labels and marketing materials. A full re-audit is required every two years to maintain use of the Quality Seal.

If you’re a pet health brand, being a part of NASC enhances your credibility among consumers who recognize and understand the value of the NASC Quality Seal as a credible mark on quality and consistency. If you’re a retailer, carrying NASC Quality Seal products not only boosts your pet store’s reputation, but it also contributes to a broader effort to enhance animal wellness. Pet parents will appreciate your commitment to offering high-quality products, which will encourage customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

The pet supplement market is constantly evolving, and being an NASC member will enable you to stay informed on industry trends, market changes and regulatory/legislative initiatives so you can better strategize ahead for success. This valuable knowledge will give you an advantage to help you remain competitive in a challenging market and allow you to better meet the growing demands of pet parents.

It is the goal of NASC for the council and its members to clearly become the leading experts on the quality and safety of animal health supplements in the global arena. By joining NASC, your company can clearly announce to the world that you, too, are committed to quality, vigilance and continuous improvement to promote the well-being of animals.