Very few consumers are aware that there are vast differences in the way certain products are regulated here in Canada vs. in the US. A recent article highlights some of the practices of US vitamin industry and it is important to note, this is just not the case in Canada.
Canadian vitamins are regulated. US are not.
Not all vitamin manufacturers must comply with the same regulations and guidelines as Canadian manufacturers. Recent news about false claims on US vitamin packaging has parents wondering how they can even trust what’s written on the label. Life Science Nutritionals, the makers of IronKids and Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins, wants to assure Canadians that Health Canada keeps their vitamins clean. The most recent incidents involve hefty fines levied against one major US vitamin manufacturer for making false and misleading claims on their packaging; another US-based gummy brand was tested and found to have vitamin levels that far exceeded label claim.
In order to manufacture and sell vitamins in Canada, Canadian manufacturers must first follow Health Canada regulations and then pass manufacturing inspection.
The purpose of the Health Canada regulations is to ensure the quality standards and procedures are followed according to Health Canada Guidelines. Besides requiring a site license for any manufacturing facility, Health Canada requires that every product produced at that facility go through a separate licensing process. Health Canada approves all the raw material, the final formula, the product labeling and any associated claims.
Once Health Canada has approved a product for sale in Canada, it is assigned a NPN (Natural Health Product Number), which must be on the product labels and packaging. This is how parents can know that they can trust what is printed on the label. “We want Canadian parents to know that when they see the NPN number and the Product of Canada seal that they can rest assured that what it says on the label is indeed in the bottle,” says Stuart Lowther, founder and CEO of Life Science Nutritionals.
In addition, some companies are passionate about creating quality products and use only quality ingredients. “At Life Science Nutritionals we believe that people are our greatest asset and that your health is your greatest asset. That is why we are dedicated to developing nutritional products, with uncompromised quality that benefit the health of our consumers” says Lowther. Using only high quality Omega that is triple distilled to remove all traces of impurities and owning their own manufacturing facility, they can control all levels of production and guarantee high quality dairy, nut and gluten free gummy vitamins.
Parents should always look for a Health Canada NPN number and the Product of Canada seal when buying vitamins for their families. That way they can be certain that the vitamin product they are buying is regulated and audited by Health Canada.
About Deb Lowther
Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active.
To read more articles you can visit her websites www.iron-kids.com & www.adultgummies.com or visit her on Facebook at IronKids.Health and Adult Essentials.
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