As COVID-19 drives continued demand for immune booster dietary supplements, new disruptions in the supply chain emphasize the need for quality assurance. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an accelerator for the dietary supplement industry, with sales at record-breaking highs as consumers look to immune boosting supplements to help support good health.
Sales of vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry skyrocketed at the onset of the pandemic, and other products like vitamin D, melatonin, and turmeric have seen notable growth as well. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, immunity supplements sales are projected to grow above 25% in 2020, compared to an 8.5% growth in 2019.
However, this unprecedented demand is paired with disruptions unlike any the global supply chain has seen. Manufacturers must adjust their procedures to changes brought about by COVID-19 and simplify operations more than ever before. Regulatory authorities had to scale back inspections.
For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), altered their processes for both foreign and domestic routine facility inspections, including at food facilities and dietary supplement facilities. These inspections are critical to ensure dietary supplements and ingredients are being produced according to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). Additionally, the FDA changed serious adverse event reporting Standard Adverse Event Reporting requirements from reporting serious adverse events to the FDA within 15 business days to instead keep track of SAERs and report them to the FDA “within six months of the restoration of adverse event reporting processes to their pre-pandemic state.”
Additionally, the high demand for certain dietary ingredients are leading manufacturers to quickly source materials from new suppliers to combat shortages and growing consumer demand. It is possible that a new ingredient supplier may present certain risks, such as a lack of quality standards and potential economic adulteration because they are new to producing the ingredient or are experiencing shortages of the starting materials. Also, manufacturers may be unaware of the quality infrastructure in place with a new suppler and could be jeopardizing their brands by the potential of introducing a lower quality or adulterated material into their product line.
With the industry facing so many concerns, many manufacturers are seeking solutions to ensure consumers can trust their products. The HawkScanner product compliance database can offer supplement manufacturers a reliable and trusted way to verify dietary ingredients used in their products are within guidelines. Sign up today here to start your free trial.