Selecting the best contract manufacturing partner to outsource your dietary supplement production can be one of the most critical decisions related to your supplement brand’s success.  Whether your product set is vitamins, minerals, or botanicals, your nutraceutical brand’s reputation is tied to the quality of your products.  A great dietary supplement contract manufacturer can be difficult to identify unless you know the right questions to ask.

The most important qualities of a great supplement contract manufacturer are competency, honesty, transparency, communication, and collaboration.  As a supplement brand owner, you should ask questions to evaluate all of these qualities.  Some of the questions you should be asking are below.  If the contract manufacturer is not completely forthcoming and transparent with their responses, that’s the first sign they may not be a high quality supplement manufacturer.

COMPETENCY

What are their primary certifications?  Are they FDA registered and cGMP certified?  Ask for the documentation and certificates.  Read the documentation paying particular attention to the audit and effective dates.  For cGMP, onsite audits should be conducted annually.  Does the facility address on the certificates match their business address?  Ask them to respond in writing/email with their answers.

What other certifications do they have?  Organic?  Halal?  Kosher?  Non-GMO Project Verified?  Again, ask for the documentation and certificates.  If organic, ask who their USDA-certified organic certifying partner is.

Where is manufacturing taking place?  Ask for specifics in writing.  Are there any processes outsourced or performed by contract labor?  Look up their business license in their state’s directory.  Does it match the information you’ve been provided?  Look up their facility address in Google Maps.  Does the satellite and street view match up with the other documentation?

How long have they been in business?  Who are their owners?  Have they had any FDA warning letters or issues?  Any product issues or recalls?

These are just some of the questions you should be asking if you are a nutraceutical brand owner and are evaluating contract manufacturers.  If you would like to talk with Sawgrass Nutra Labs about their supplement manufacturing capabilities, please email sales@sawgrassnutralabs.com or call 904-456-0959.