Quality Processes - NOW® Foods Greece

JMN - Join Molecular Nutrition
JMN Pharmaceutical SA is a Greek trading company, involved in marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement products hence in the health industry and lifestyle products. JMN Pharmaceutical SA was founded in 2008 in Ioannina. The rapid growth of the company resulted in its expansion into the industrial area of Ioannina, where privately owned warehouses of 1,200 square meters were located until the end of 2016, where they were moved at the area of Aspropyrgos Attica until the present day. The accountant base as well as the order department of the company remains in the center of the city of Ioannina. In 2008 the sales and marketing department was added in Athens, which is responsible for promoting products at both retail and wholesale, both in Greece and in foreign countries. In 2008, the R & D department was established, aiming at the development of innovative formulae. Today JMN Pharmaceutical is active in both Greece and the abroad.

Activities

The scope of JMN Pharmaceutical SA activities in Greece, involves the import, export, distribution and trade of pharmaceuticals, organic products and nutritional supplements. The company is the sole owner of the claims with regards the trade and distribution of NOW products in Greece, Cyprus and Croatia. According to SPINS^ΤΜ, an independent body, NOW is the biggest supplement manufacturer globally, in terms of sales. Alongside the effective demonstration of providing prime quality natural products, such as dietary supplements, natural nutriments, supplements for athletes, herb extracts, essential oils, natural sweeteners, cosmetics, etc., this American Corporation is strictly committed to issues that deal with social and environmental liability.

The last partnership between JMN Pharmaceutical SA and Lifeplan Products, an English supplement company, is an evolutionary step of great significance, since the dietary supplements in question are on sale exclusively at AB VASILOPOULOS Super Market, a member of Ahold-Delhaize, a giant multinational force, in FMCG department.

JMN Pharmaceutical SA, apart from delegating important manufacturers of the abroad, has also manufactured products under its own brand name, with innovative formulas, developed exclusively by the R & D department of the company. Natura Vita series available on domestic and foreign market; more specifically in Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania.

Some of which are:
- NATURA VITA Dietary Supplements
- NATURA VITA Nuts & Snacks
Services - Facilities

To the present, JMN Pharmaceutical SA remains committed to all the values set from the first moment of its foundation. The services provided include ensuring optimal product quality, and effectiveness to those who need them. Overhauling and scientifically validated expiration dates are an integral part of the company's activity which allows quality assurance from the first day of product storage. The facilities where the warehouse is housed exceed the guidelines for food packaging. The storage areas have units which control temperature and humidity, which operate more at night, to avoid changes that affect the quality of products. The high quality of service of JMN Pharmaceutical SA is certified by Quality Assurance Standard ISO 9001 and the reassessment is annual, according to the new standard ISO 9001.

Objectives

The purpose and aim of JMN Pharmaceutical SA is leadership and cooperation with new partners of high scientific standing, and continuous replenishment with modern innovative products that lead to a longer life of high quality. In a global economic environment, characterized by the changing attitudes of customers, who will now attach great importance to the quality and reliability of its products, the rapid increase in competition, ease of movement of goods between countries, there is a growing need for competitive products and services of assured quality. Despite the current difficult situation Greece is facing, JMN Pharmaceutical SA is continuing to produce an even larger number of formulations, with the same commitment and consistency towards its consumers and partners.

Values

One of the basic principles of JMN Pharmaceutical SA is consistency towards its customers, partners and its scientific staff characterized by sincerity, honesty and integrity.

Therefore the company commits and provides a promise to:
- Continuous scientific and technological progress.
- Maintaining high quality standards.
- Excellent personal relationships, both with customers and with partners.
- Excellent working environment for its staff.
Corporate Social Responsibility

JMN Pharmaceutical SA is characterized by remarkable long-term corporate social responsibility:

Financial transparency, alignment with national and international standards and initiatives of the sales department based on a strict code of conduct constitute a guaranteed compliance with the rules of good practice, but also transcend the predefined standards of laws, both local and on an international level.

Good Manufacturing Practices

Natural Products Association Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

In 2000 the Natural Products Association (then known as the Natural Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) initiated a new quality certification program called the NNFA GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). This voluntary certification program created standardized manufacturing and quality control practices for companies who agreed to undergo comprehensive audits of their manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance processes and procedures. NOW was one of the first manufacturers to seek GMP certification and was awarded an ‘A’ rating by the NPA after an intense audit process. Since 2000 NOW has undergone annual re-certification and has consistently maintained an ‘A’ rating. The NPA GMP certification process includes:

A comprehensive third-party audit of our facilities that follows the manufacturing process from start to finish, including raw material receiving and testing, production, quality control and assurance, finished product testing, warehousing, storage, documentation and more.
Detailed review of quality control and assurance testing methods for raw materials and finished goods including identity, purity, potency, composition and adulterant testing.
Compliance with sanitation, processing, documentation and testing requirements.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)

In June of 2010 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began enforcing federal standardized manufacturing procedures, known as current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMPs. These standards assure the proper design, monitoring and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. They also establish minimum requirements for sanitation, record-keeping, package and label content and more. Manufacturers are audited by FDA inspectors to ensure compliance and corrective and preventive action is required for any issues found during the inspection process. At NOW Foods we’re inspected regularly by the FDA and continue to receive only a few minor observations. In fact, our FDA inspection in January 2012 resulted in zero observations (cGMP violations).

Non-GMO Project Inspection

2013 marked NOW’s first inspection by The Non-GMO Project. A third party inspector audited our facility for compliance with Non-GMO Project requirements including cleanliness, non-GMO integrity, and systems. NOW continues to support non-GMO ingredients and products and we’re taking the necessary steps to have our entire food line non-GMO verified by the end of 2013.

Quality Assurance International (QAI) Organic Certification

One of the leading United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-accredited organic product certifying agencies in the United States, Quality Assurance International (QAI) is “committed to ensuring organic integrity at every link in the organic production chain.” From farm to retail shelf, QAI verifies organic product integrity at every step and their expertise applies to crop production, food manufacturing, distribution, retail, foodservice, personal care products, dietary supplements and more. NOW Foods is a QAI-certified organic manufacturer. We’re audited annually for compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP).

Cleanliness, Hygiene and Sanitation

NPA GMPs and FDA cGMPs require manufacturers to adhere to stringent minimum levels of cleanliness and sanitation. NOW goes to great lengths to ensure the cleanliness of our facilities and equipment. We perform environmental testing to ensure proper air quality and to control cross contamination. Equipment is swabbed to check for contaminants and to ensure cleanliness. We perform a highly specialized ATP (adenosine triphosphate) sampler test that allows us to screen for allergens and microbes. Rooms that house manufacturing equipment are designed to control cross contamination and are specially built to allow for comprehensive cleaning, including ceilings, walls and floors. Hygiene, cleanliness and sanitation are taken into account throughout every step of the manufacturing process.

Labeling Accuracy & Transparency

As part of NPA GMPs and FDA cGMPs, manufacturers are also required to meet certain standards regarding the accuracy and transparency of dietary supplement packages and labels. NOW has been an industry champion for truth in labeling for decades. NOW’s founder Elwood Richard and his brother Lou were instrumental in the creation of the NPA’s Tru-Label Program, an “internal oversight program…designed to create a high level of confidence with retailers and consumers that products sold in the marketplace are accurately labeled; to establish an ongoing self-regulatory process within the industry; to demonstrate industry maturity to legislators; and to provide a comprehensive industry product database.” NOW Foods participates in the Tru-Label Program and submits to random product testing to ensure compliance. Today we provide assurance through sampling and product testing that what’s on the label is in the bottle. NOW® dietary supplement labels are designed in-house to provide a wealth of essential information for retailers and consumers. Our labels include complete supplement facts, key ingredient potencies, additional ingredients, allergen information, suggested usage, qualified health claims, appropriate structure/function claims, cautions, storage conditions and other related additional information.

NOW’s labels are designed to help the consumer quickly determine what the product is for and whether it addresses their own nutritional needs. The front panel (or principal display panel) highlights the main product category and bulleted structure/ function claims to help the consumer quickly identify if a product meets their personal needs. Retailers and consumers alike can trust, based on our sampling and testing program, that what’s listed on a NOW® dietary supplement label is exactly what they’ll find in the bottle.

Testing from Start to Finish

At NOW, ingredient and finished product testing is the backbone of our Quality Control and Quality Assurance programs. The investments we’ve made in laboratories, instrumentation and technical employees help us to ensure key elements of dietary supplement quality, including identity, purity, potency and composition. NOW tests our ingredients and finished products, meeting and exceeding cGMP testing standards. In a single month of production this can entail more than 16,000 individual tests.

We request pre-shipment samples from our suppliers for testing. Once a raw material is approved and arrives at one of our facilities we sample the lot and perform a series of tests. Retains are stored for future reference and test results are recorded in compliance with NPA GMPs and FDA cGMPs. In-process ingredient testing is performed during production and once the finished product is produced, we perform an additional battery of tests before the product lot is released into inventory. NOW is committed to comprehensive, industry-leading ingredient and finished product testing.

JMN - Join Molecular Nutrition