What Are Good Manufacturing Practices?

At Performance Inspired, we pride ourselves on our quality products. We never use risky or unproven ingredients, and we always adhere to good manufacturing practices. But what exactly does that mean?

Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) describe the equipment, the methods, the facilities, and the controls for producing processed food and supplements. These practices keep the food and supplements that you ingest safe, so you don’t have to worry about what goes on during any part of the manufacturing process.

These guidelines, which were established by proper food handling laws, are as important to us as they are to you. We know that you don’t want to put unproven, ineffective, or junky ingredients into your body. And we don’t want you to.

The facilities that help us create and produce our products all adhere to good manufacturing practices. We use only trusted companies with proven track records. And we make sure they are accountable for how they handle our products.

We want to explore some of the practices that go into how we ensure the safety of our products. But first, let’s examine why we need these regulations.

Why do we need GMPs?

GMPs are necessary because everyone from the developer to the manufacturer to the distributor of products should care about you—the customer.

When GMPs are used properly, we reduce the risk of foodborne illness. We extend the shelf life and the storage life of our products. We reduce the risk of having to stop the manufacturing process because of a problem, which in turn reduces costs. And we reduce the number of returns and complaints about the product.

According to the FDA, “Facilities that are in good condition, equipment that is properly maintained and calibrated, employees who are qualified and fully trained, and processes that are reliable and reproducible, are a few examples of how CGMP requirements help to assure the safety and efficacy” of products.

In short, we all benefit from GMPs.

GMP guidelines

There are several guidelines that manufacturers must follow in the production of products that people ingest. These include:

• Proper maintenance, layout, and operation of food processing facilities
• Proper maintenance of equipment and utensils
• Sanitation processes and controls necessary to ensure food is suitable for human consumption, which includes:
  • Protection against physical, chemical, and microbial contaminants
  • Monitoring of critical control points like humidity, pH, flow rate, time, and temperature
  • Protection against natural defects, including a pest control program
  • Avoidance of foreign materials such as glass, metal, and plastic in finished products

In addition, there are several important components of GMPs that ensure that you are getting the best product possible.

The first is people. Every person who works in every facility that handles your food must be properly trained in quality control standards and in how to implement them.

Another important component is keeping the premises safe and clean. The facilities should be designed well so that surfaces can be easily cleaned and so that the risk of cross contamination is reduced. All machines that are in use should not only be validated, or proven to perform how they’re intended, but also calibrated to make sure they’re in good working order. And finally, all machines should have regularly scheduled maintenance, with proper records showing that this maintenance has been done.

Along those same lines, documentation showing that all procedures are regularly followed is vital to good manufacturing practices, as is analyzing procedures to make sure they are followed and updated as needed.

In addition to making sure that the facilities that handle Performance Inspired’s products adhere to the above standards, here are some specific practices we use to keep our products safe and of high quality.

Lot track/trace

According to the FDA, “Food traceability is the ability to follow the movement of a food product and its ingredients through all steps in the supply chain, both backward and forward.” The companies who handle our products document how they handle them, where they are, where the ingredients came from, and how each moves through the supply chain. They do this through a stringent process that “involves documenting and linking the production, processing, and distribution chain of food products and ingredients.”

Shipment traceability allows producers to track and trace everything that goes into a product. From the suppliers to the manufacturing process to the final consumer, traceability gives insight into every component at each step, which helps the consumer know that he’s getting a quality product.

Inventory control and costing

Inventory control is vital for minimizing waste. When the companies who work with our product know where that product is, how much is used, and the exact costs for every step of the process, we are better able to keep the cost of the final product low. Therefore, you benefit because we are keeping track.

Quality and trusted ingredients

Performance Inspired Nutrition uses both domestic and international ingredients in our products, but regardless of where they originate, all must comply with FDA regulations. According to the FDA, “The Dietary Supplement [good manufacturing practices] rule in 21 CFR part 111 . . . requires persons who manufacture, package, label, or hold a dietary supplement to establish and follow current good manufacturing practice to ensure the quality of the dietary supplement and to ensure that the dietary supplement is packaged and labeled as specified in the master manufacturing record.” To that end, all ingredients are first placed in quarantine. They are then tested by the companies we partner with to make sure they do not contain harmful materials like pesticides or heavy metals. They are further tested to make sure they conform to the specifications regarding strength, composition, and purity. This testing gives both Performance Inspired and the consumer the assurance that everything you consume is of the highest quality.

Process control

Process control is a “statistical and engineering discipline that deals with the design and mechanisms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range” to ensure that the “process is predictable, stable, and consistently operating at the target level of performance with only normal variation.” What does that mean for you? It means you get a quality product that you can feel confident about.

Stability testing

We know that products may sit unused or partially used in your home for quite some time. To help you determine how long is safe, the companies who handle our products perform stability testing. During this testing, “Stability chambers simulate a variety of controlled temperature and humidity conditions for storage. Special equipment is available for the evaluation of oxidative stability, food texture, multi spectral imaging and other tests.” We then pass that information on to you by telling you “best by” dates so you know how long our product can safely stay on your pantry shelf.

Supplier purchases

We also make sure that the companies we work with adhere to rules guiding the materials that suppliers can purchase. These regulations instill confidence in the consumer, who can then be sure that the suppliers, vendors, and contractors must deliver quality materials.

Our staff at Performance Inspired conducted extensive research regarding the best companies with the greatest track records regarding good manufacturing practices, and we partnered with them to help create quality products. We want you to feel confident in everything we develop. All of our products have the good manufacturing practices guarantee. We employ high standards so that you can trust our products. That trust is why Mark Wahlberg and Tom Dowd put their names on the labels. They are proud of our products, and that pride translates to superior products. You will never have to worry about quality when you purchase something from Performance Inspired Nutrition.

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