Washington, D.C., December 11, 2017— Companies looking to upload their dietary supplement product labels into the Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library), the dietary supplement product registry, now have two additional efficient and affordable options to get their labels into this industry initiative. UL, the global independent safety science company responsible for developing and administering the Supplement OWL, and the Hamacher Resource Group (HRG), a partner in category management, business strategy, analytics and brand marketing services focused on consumer healthcare at retail, are each eager to partner with manufacturers for a nominal per label fee to reduce the internal workload and speed up the process.
“As the Supplement OWL gains traction, there’s growing energy about the long-term potential for the registry to raise the bar for our industry,” said Duffy MacKay, N.D., senior vice president, scientific & regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). “When companies provide feedback, the one concern we hear is that they’re worried about the staff time involved in the initial upload process. We’re grateful to UL and HRG for coming up with a way to cut down on the time involved, and provide the manufacturer with a reliable, accurate solution."
For a nominal per label fee, the two companies are offering to populate the required data fields in Tier 1 of the Supplement OWL, using information provided by the product manufacturer. Companies will still be involved in the process, including sharing edits (as needed) and providing final approval. But now, the more tedious elements of the label upload process will be greatly reduced, allowing companies to focus on fine-tuning each entry before it is made public and allowing in-house staff to more effectively utilize their own time.
The Supplement OWL is an industry-wide, self-regulatory initiative that will help create a rich and more complete picture of the marketplace for regulators, retailers, and industry. The Supplement OWL will serve as a resource for these audiences to identify products, their ingredients, and the companies who market them, and permit registry users to examine and evaluate labels and other product information.
Said Dr. MacKay, “Taking advantage of the label upload service provided by UL or HRG is a great way for busy companies to get started with the Supplement OWL and ensure their brands are represented."
CRN member companies will be required, as a condition of membership, to participate in the Supplement OWL in the New Year, and CRN anticipates the number of responsible dietary supplement companies, both CRN members and those who are not, will also continue to increase as companies voluntarily comply.
To get started, contact UL or HRG. To learn more about the Supplement OWL, visit www.SupplementOWL.org.
Note to Editor:
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.
UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for more than 120 years. Its nearly 11,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. UL partners with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information about UL’s certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit www.UL.com.
Hamacher Resource Group is the leading partner in category management, business strategy and marketing services focused on consumer healthcare at retail. Product manufacturers, healthcare distributors, retailers, technology partners, and other organizations rely on HRG for strategic insights and creative solutions to improve the shopping experience. Visit www.hamacher.com for more information.