I’ve noticed that some of the supplements have a sticker with the initials NASC. What does that mean?
– Robin H., Canton, GA

“NASC” stands for the National Animal Supplement Council, an industry group founded in 2001 dedicated to protecting and enhancing the health of companion animals and horses throughout the U.S. The cornerstone of NASC’s mission is to work cooperatively with state, federal and inter- national government officials to create a legislative and regulatory environment that is fair, reasonable, responsible and nationally consistent.

One of the ways it achieves this is through its Quality Assurance Seal Program in which member companies must:

1. Have a Quality Manual in place that provides written standard operating proce- dures for production process control.
2. Have an Adverse Event Reporting system in place to continually monitor and evaluate products.
3. Follow proper label guidelines for all products.
4. Include any specific warning and cautionary statements recommended by the FDA and NASC (for example, the following is required on all supplement labels: “safe use in pregnant animals or animals intended for breeding has not been proven” and “if animal’s condition worsens or does not improve, stop product administration and contact your veterinarian”).

In addition, companies that wish to display the NASC Seal must submit to an independent audit of their facility.

[Ed. note: We proudly display the NASC seal on our supplements because we have met all the criteria of their Quality Assurance Seal Program, including passing an independent audit.]

[Ed. note: Originally printed in the May 2010 issue of Salt Block Gazette]

About Dr. Lydia Gray

Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray has earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and a Master of Arts focusing on interpersonal and organizational communication. After “retiring” from private practice, she put her experience and education to work as the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s first-ever Director of Owner Education. Dr. Gray continues to provide health and nutrition information to horse owners through her position at SmartPak, through publication in more than a dozen general and trade publications, and through presentations around the country. She is the very proud owner of a Trakehner named Newman that she actively competes with in dressage and combined driving. In addition to memberships in the USDF and USEF, Dr. Gray is also a member of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA). She is a USDF “L” Program Graduate and is currently working on her Bronze Medal. Find Dr. Gray on Google+