Indesco, Inc. - Certifications Information

Certifications

QS-9000 is the shorthand name for "Quality System Requirements QS-9000." It is the common supplier quality standard for Daimler Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Corporation. QS-9000 is based on the 1994 edition of ISO 9001, but it contains additional requirements that are particular to the automotive industry. These additions are considered automotive "interpretations" by the ISO community of accreditation bodies and registrars. QS-9000 applies to suppliers of production materials, production and service parts, heat treating, painting and plating and other finishing services.

The ISO 9000 is among ISO's (International Organization for Standardization) most widely known standards ever. ISO 9000 standards are implemented by some 610 000 organizations in 160 countries. ISO 9000 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings, in enabling organizations to meet their environmental challenges.

The ISO 9000 family is primarily concerned with "quality management". This means what the organization does to fulfil:

the customer's quality requirements, and
applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
enhance customer satisfaction, and
achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.

The vast majority of ISO standards are highly specific to a particular product, material, or process. However, the standards that have earned the ISO 9000 which is a worldwide reputation are known as "generic management system standards".

"Generic" means that the same standards can be applied:

to any organization, large or small, whatever its product
including whether its "product" is actually a service,
in any sector of activity, and
whether it is a business enterprise, a public administration, or a government department.

"Generic" also signifies that no matter what the organization's scope of activity, if it wants to establish a quality management system or an environmental management system, then such a system has a number of essential features for which the relevant standards of the ISO 9000 which will provide the requirements.

"Management system" refers to the organization's structure for managing its processes - or activities - that transform inputs of resources into a product or service which meet the organization's objectives, such as satisfying the customer's quality requirements, complying to regulations, or meeting environmental objectives.

	Management System Registration Mark (UL) The UL Registered Firm Mark is a mark you will never see on a product. Instead, it indicates that a particular facility has passed UL's evaluation to management system standards and is used in promotion and marketing by companies with management system programs audited by UL. The standards UL uses are the ISO 9000 series of quality assurance standards; QS-9000 and TE Supplement, the quality standards developed by the Big Three U.S. automakers for their suppliers; ISO 14001, the standard covering environmental management systems, AS9000 for aerospace quality management systems, TL 9000 for telecommunications quality management systems and SA8000 for social accountability management systems.
	National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) The Public Health and Safety Company™, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. For 60 years, NSF has been committed to public health, safety, and protection of the environment. While focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment, NSF develops national standards, provides learning opportunities through its Center for Public Health Education, and provides third-party conformity assessment services while representing the interests of all stakeholders. The primary stakeholder groups include industry, the regulatory community, and the public at large.
	The Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Registration for contract manufacturers and internal manufacturing facilities of dietary supplement companies enables contract manufacturers to become independently registered by NSF as complying with GMP requirements as listed in Section 8 of NSF/ANSI Standard 173-2003. What are GMP's? Good Manufacturing Practices are guidelines that provide a system of processes, procedures, and documentation to assure the product produced has the identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that it is represented to possess. Benefits of the NSF GMP Registration Program Increases the creditability and offers a competitive advantage in the marketplace for contract manufacturers Increases senior management confidence in the preparedness of manufacturing facilities for FDA inspection Decreases the time and cost for companies selecting third-party testing and product certification if using an NSF GMP registered contract manufacturer Manufacturers of dietary supplements that comply with GMP requirements receive certificates and are listed on the NSF web site. Available to all manufacturers of dietary supplements Demonstrates independent third-party verification of continuing conformance to GMP's
	National Nutritional Food Association (NNFA) NSF's strategic alliance with NNFA, the nation's largest trade organization for manufacturers allows NSF to accept the NNFA GMP audit for contract manufacturers for initial qualification into the NSF GMP Registration Program. This alliance with NNFA retailers and suppliers of natural products also enables NSF to use NNFA's GMP materials as part of its certification process. NSF recognizes NNFA's GMP audit as fulfilling the GMP requirements for NSF certification.
	U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health.