Amazon Sales and Independent Supplement Testing
If you would like to sell something on amazon, your product must comply with state, federal, and local laws of the country and state in which you will be doing business. These compliance laws are even more demanding for products that will be eaten. Edibles and dietary supplements are subject to the toughest laws to keep the health of your customers safe from all harm.
Listing and selling dietary supplements and edibles on amazon means first submitting the product to supplement tests by independent testers. For example, if you hope to sell a dietary supplement of specially designed vitamins in the United States, it must be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The FDA will ensure that your product is safe for consumption and will not have negative side effects for your customers.
In the following sections we will take a look at an overview of the various steps and individual supplement tests that must be carried out before a dietary supplement or any other edible product and be sold online.
Certificate of Analysis (COA) – Independent Supplement Test
The first thing you will need is a Certificate of Analysis from a laboratory with ISO/IEC certification. The COA you need must also feature the batch number or lot number, the date and name of the product as well as the name and address of the producer. The individual supplement testing company must perform a quantitative analysis to ascertain that the active ingredients listed in the ingredients list are indeed those found within the product itself.
Furthermore, you will need to ensure that those lists of all active ingredients placed on the panel are exactly identical to the ones found on the COA listing. The ingredients must also be listed with their units in mcg, mg, etc. and also the same as those found on the COA. It is equally important to remember that the independent supplement test must be properly completed and the COA obtained no earlier than 6 months before the launch of your product.
Furthermore, laboratory testing for expired products holds no validity.
Product Images – Independent Supplement Test
After you have addressed the independent supplement testing and provided the Amazon market with a valid COA, the next task will be to produce legible photographs of your product. The images you will provide of your product must also contain the product’s name as well as the company’s name and address. The images taken must also show all sides of the product with the product label visible.
Furthermore, the image of the product must be completely clear and include the supplemental and nutritional facts and a legible list of all the active ingredients contained therein. This is to ensure that all the ingredients in the product are listed as well as the dietary information. Finally, all the information must match the information found and printed on the COA.
Letter of Guarantee – Independent Supplement Test
The next step is the letter of guarantee required from the manufacturer; this letter of guarantee must include the name of the product as mentioned on the product label. This product name should also be on the manufacturer’s letterhead. The letter of guarantee is also supposed to include certain assurances like:
• The ingredients used in the production of the product are considered safe to use and lawful according to 402 (f) of the FD&C Act.
• The active ingredients, as listed in the product label and labeling, are safe to consume.
It should also be mentioned that Amazon is now accepting limited COAs for specific products that are produced in cGMP. This is a very specific and limited list.
Final Thoughts
While the process of obtaining the independent supplement test is complex, it is also highly important. There is always a chance that you will not have all the approvals, meet all the requirements or obtain all the necessary certifications. This can result in Amazon having your product removed from their market. Once this happens your business will be dealt a considerable blow from which it may never recover.
But all this can be greatly facilitated by having your supplements produced by an experienced manufacturer like SS Nutra. This makes the whole process of getting your product on Amazon much easier and smoother for amazon marketers.
SS Nutra is an experienced manufacturing facility specializing in dietary supplements and has the skills and knowledge needed to fulfill all the requirements for certifications and independent supplement tests. We operate an FDA-registered production facility in compliance with all the important requirements.
By having your supplements produced by SS Nutra you will have the peace of mind of knowing that your production is being handled by certified experts and this can allow you to focus on the core functions of your business with no worry about approvals, certificates or requirements.