Approved & Authorized Certification Bodies (CBs)

What is a key component to manufacturing consistency? It rests with having a harmonized set of standards that have been publicly developed, scrutinized by experts, and established through consensus. Once publicly accredited standards are developed, the industry looks to highly qualified Certification Bodies (CBs) to assess the conformance of manufacturers. These assessments help to:

• keep consumers safe
• verify compliance to standards
• sustain best practices

We at the GRMA partnered with our members and the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to develop a rigorous vetting, authorization, and approval process for CBs. Our program ensures that the CB consistently achieves our requirements and that their certifications can be trusted.

When it comes to selecting a CB through the GRMA, you have two main options:

• A fully approved and accredited CB. This is reserved for the fully qualified CBs who have successfully achieved the requirements within the GRMA’s certification program and may issue the GRMA’s conformity mark to qualifying manufacturers.
• An authorized CB in the process of becoming accredited. These CBs are actively working to become fully approved to the GRMA’s certification program and are authorized to perform GRMA audits.

Having a CB fully approved and accredited is no small feat. The CB must complete a rigorous  process and have highly qualified and competent auditors.

At its core, a qualified CB signals to manufacturers, retailers, and the public that the CB:

• Operates in compliance with internationally accepted criteria
• Maintains an unbiased commitment and adherence to rigorous auditing standards
• Commits to performing necessary evaluations in an impartial manner

These CBs are dedicated to the highest degrees of integrity and professionalism. They only assign highly qualified auditors with science-based degrees and post-qualification experience. Not only must their auditors meet stringent qualifications, but they must also complete ongoing training.

Because of this level of rigor, certification audits completed by these CBs carry a high level of authority and trust.

For more information about the CB approval and accreditation process, please visit our Member Home Page.

The following CBs are approved for on-site and virtual/remote GRMA certification audits. They are each ANAB accredited for the following categories:

• Dietary Supplements
• Cosmetics/Personal Care Products
• Over-the-Counter Drugs

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Becoming a fully approved CB to the GRMA certification program is a significant undertaking – one that can take up to a year to complete.

During this process, the new CB must meet certain requirements and conduct audits in order to become fully approved and accredited to the GRMA program. These requirements include:

• The CB must have an active application for accreditation for the GRMA’s certification program. This active application must be against ISO/IEC 17065 requirements and with an approved IAF MRA accreditation body, such as ANAB.
• The CB’s auditors and technical reviewers must have the experience and qualifications in the relevant product categories specified by the GRMA.
• Auditors and Technical Reviewers must successfully complete all required GRMA training.
• A contract must be in place with the GRMA, and all other contracted requirements must be met (aside from the accreditation requirement, which will still be in process).
• The CB must show the acceptability of their audit reports.

Once these requirements are met, the CB is then authorized to perform certification audits in order to receive accreditation.

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