A quality guide produced by the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers is assisting companies in improving their production processes and helping them get up to speed with evolving European food supplements laws.

The 'Quality Guide for Food Supplements' has been developed by EHPM technical experts and is the first pan-European guide of its kind. It is also proving useful for companies in other international jurisdictions. The guide builds on national guides developed by EHPM member associations over the past decade.

It explains legal and recommended production requirements from raw materials to finished products, including manufacturing, quality control, packaging, distribution and storage. Its recommended requirements are based on best practices, to help maintain the safe and consistent production of high quality supplements across the EU.

The guide is intended to assist supplements manufacturers as well as those that employ contract manufacturers to meet quality standards. Since it was distributed in November 2007, EHPM has been inundated with requests for copies from the European food supplements industry as well as the US, Canada, Argentina and southeast Asia.

"We are delighted our guide has proved so popular both within Europe and internationally," said EHPM Chairman Peter van Doorn. "It is testament to the fact that the practices being initiated within the EU are being closely reviewed across the globe. We hope this guide will be a step towards achieving and maintaining a high and consistent level of quality for food supplements across the 27 countries of the EU."

The Quality Guide for Food Supplements can be downloaded from the EHPM website www.ehpm.org. For more information email the EHPM Secretariat at [email protected].