The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA)

The FDA is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products.

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Mission of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is protecting our health. The EPA monitors air and water quality and works to reduce exposure to contaminants in the air, land, and water. The EPA regulates antimicrobial pesticides, which are defined as substances used to destroy or suppress the growth of microorganisms on inanimate objects and surfaces. If a product claims to disinfect or sanitize microbes on a surface or object, for example, a spray that claims to sanitize pedicure foot trays, it must have an EPA Registration Number and Establishment Number. Antimicrobial manicure and pedicure products that are used on humans (i.e., antiseptic solutions or ointments) are regulated by the FDA. Products that make both of these types of claims are subject to both EPA and FDA regulation.

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Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Good Manufacturing Practices are the practices required in order to conform to the guidelines recommended by agencies that control the authorization and licensing of the manufacture and sale of food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, dietary supplements, and medical devices. These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a manufacturer must meet to assure that their products are consistently high in quality, from batch to batch, for their intended use. The rules that govern each industry may differ significantly; however, the main purpose of GMP is always to prevent harm from occurring to the end user. Additional tenets include ensuring the end product is free from contamination, that it is consistent in its manufacture, that its manufacture has been well documented, that personnel are well trained, and the product has been checked for quality more than just at the end phase. GMP is typically ensured through the effective use of a quality management system (QMS).

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SGS formerly Société Générale de Surveillance (French for General Society of Surveillance)

The SGS is a multinational company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland which provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services. The core services offered by SGS include the inspection and verification of the quantity, weight and quality of traded goods, the testing of product quality and performance against various health, safety and regulatory standards, and to make sure that products, systems or services meet the requirements of standards set by governments, standardization bodies or by SGS customers.

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Over The Counter (OTC)

Over-the-counter drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription. In many countries, OTC drugs are selected by a regulatory agency to ensure that they are ingredients that are safe and effective when used without a physician's care. OTC drugs are usually regulated by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), not final products. By regulating APIs instead of specific drug formulations, governments allow manufacturers freedom to formulate ingredients, or combinations of ingredients, into proprietary mixtures.

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Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

The HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level.

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.