First, who is Health Canada?
Health Canada is a federal institution that is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible to Canadians, and works to reduce their health risks. The services and information they provide include ensuring product safety by developing and monitoring regulatory guidelines for chemical and drug products; providing direction for environmental and workplace health and safety standards; detailing food and nutritional information is outlined and accessible; preventing health problems and health care system issues through plans of action; and more.
For more information on Health Canada, visit their website: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html
Second, how does Health Canada work with Herbal Magic?
As part of the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada, the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) is the regulating authority over all Natural Health Product (NHP) sales in Canada. Their role is to ensure that Canadians have access to natural health products that are safe, effective, and of high quality while respecting freedom of choice and philosophical and cultural diversity. The NNHPD assesses all NHPs before letting them be sold in Canada. They also check that NHPs are properly manufactured (without contamination or incorrect ingredients), and conduct post-market monitoring to make sure that NHP Regulations are being followed.
As per Health Canada regulations, each ingredient in NHPs must be clearly listed on product labels. Canadian NHP labels cannot use vague terms like “blend” without also listing each ingredient individually as well. Every consumer can know exactly what is in each product by reading product labels. Ingredients in licensed NHPs are definitely safe. In order for products to receive licenses in the form of Natural Product Numbers (NPNs), companies must submit evidence to Health Canada proving that each ingredient is safe at the products’ recommended daily dosage.
NPNs are granted to products that meet Health Canada’s strict standards for safety, efficacy, and quality. All Herbal Magic supplements have an NPN, as they’ve passed Health Canada’s review and have been approved for sale in Canada.
Thirdly, where can you find Health Canada’s NPN on products?
You can identify licensed natural health products by looking for the eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the product label. On Herbal Magic products, you can locate the NPN at the bottom of our labels near the quantity count. Please see an example highlighted below:
In addition to this example, you can actually search our NHP NPNs on Health Canada’s website to ensure they’re valid. If you’re interested in verifying your Herbal Magic product’s NPN, you can search for it HERE.
Is that everything Herbal Magic does to ensure safety and quality with Health Canada?
No, actually, Herbal Magic takes it a step further and goes above and beyond the requirements by also having an active “site license” approved by Health Canada. A site license requires us to “have procedures in place for distribution records and product recalls and for the handling, storage, and delivery of products” and we must “meet good manufacturing practice requirements," according to Health Canada’s standards.
The “Good Manufacturing Practices” (GMPs) that we have to follow to ensure product safety and quality, are standards and practices set by Health Canada regarding product manufacture, storage, handling, and distribution of our natural and non-prescription health products (NNHPs). For these products, we have to cover and share data with Health Canada regarding our:
- Product specifications (ingredients)
- Property premises
- Our equipment
- Our team
- Our sanitation program
- Our operation protocols
- Our quality assurance processes
- Our stability requirements
- Our sterile products management
- Our lot and batch samples processes
- Our recall reporting processes
These GMPs are designed to be outcome-based, ensuring the safety and quality of our products. We are not required to have a site license but we choose to have one to ensure our supplements are of the highest quality, which this certification helps validate. We reapply for our site license every 2 years to maintain good standing and credibility with Health Canada.
With all that in mind, you now know all our supplements are safe, effective, and approved by Health Canada. Find the supplement for your need HERE, or book a free consultation HERE with our certified Head Personal Health Coach so she can help you find the product for your goal, lifestyle, and budget.
For more information on Herbal Magic’s process and products, check out our FAQs.
