Written by: Emily O'Gorman, Marketing Manager, Metro Supply Chain
June 6, 2023
Key Takeaways
- Natural health products (NHPs) in Canada are regulated by Health Canada and must meet strict licensing, quality, storage, and labeling requirements before they can be sold.
- A qualified Canadian 3PL can help NHP and nutraceutical brands maintain regulatory compliance through Health Canada-licensed facilities, GMP-certified operations, and robust quality assurance programs.
- Canadian NHP labels must include bilingual packaging, a Natural Product Number (NPN), ingredient information, dosage instructions, and required health warnings.
- Lot tracking, expiry management, and recall readiness are critical requirements for natural health product fulfillment and help protect product quality and consumer safety.
- For U.S. and international brands entering Canada, a specialized 3PL can streamline relabeling, repackaging, compliance management, warehousing, and distribution.
The popularity of natural health products and nutraceuticals has grown exponentially in the past few years as consumers focus on their health and wellness. The nutraceutical market itself in Canada is expected to grow by 5.62% in the upcoming five years.
What are Natural Health Products or NHPs?
Natural health products (NHPs) are naturally occurring substances that are used to restore or maintain good health, such as:
- Protein powders
- Supplements
- Vitamins and minerals
- Herbal remedies
- Homeopathic medicines
- Probiotics
What are Nutraceuticals?
Nutraceuticals is a term also often used in the health and wellness industry. It is a broad term for substances or food that can provide medical or health benefits; many of which fall under the category of NHPs.
Special Requirements for NHPs
Natural health products have many special requirements to be able to be sold in Canada. They are regulated by Health Canada, a federal department, so that Canadians can have confidence that the products they use are safe, effective and of high quality. Due to these regulations, as well as the unique intricacies of the Canadian health and wellness market, selling natural health products and nutraceuticals in Canada can prove challenging.
That’s why it’s important for brands to partner with an experienced 3PL who can provide end-to-end Health Canada compliant fulfillment operations. Below is a list of ways a 3PL partner can support the fulfillment of your natural health products and nutraceuticals in Canada:
1. Health Canada licensed and GMP facilities:
NHPs are sensitive products that often have special storage and handling requirements. For example, some vitamins and supplements need temperature-controlled warehouses, or to be stored in clean, dry spaces. Not having your goods protected from environmental factors can lead to issues with the product’s medicinal properties or shelf life, which can then impact your sales or the health of your customers.
To ensure the safety and efficacy of these products all Canadian importers, packagers, and labelers of NHPs must have site licenses. To have a license, these sites must:
- Maintain proper distribution records
- Have proper procedures for product recalls
- Have procedures for the handling, storage, and delivery of their products
- Demonstrate that they meet good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements.
Metro Supply Chain’s extensive supply chain network includes Health Canada licensed and GMP certified facilities. This includes temperature-controlled facilities with humidity monitoring, and specialized handling procedures to ensure products are never crushed, stacked too high, etc. Additional regulations and quality assurance standards will be covered in the sections below.
2. Regulatory compliance & robust quality assurance systems:
Ensuring the quality of NHPs falls to the license holders, who should employ Quality Assurance and Quality Control personnel to help fulfill requirements set out by the Natural Health Products Regulations.
Metro Supply Chain provides in-house Quality Assurance. We also have relationships with Regulatory Compliance companies who are well-versed in Health Canada policies, processes, and language to help your company meet Health Canada requirements. Additionally, Metro Supply Chain has robust quality management systems and inbound inspections, as well as segregated returns and quarantine areas to guarantee your operations are fully compliant in Canada.
3. In-house kitting, packaging, and labeling of Natural Health Products:
Labels are an important tool to assist users in making informed health choices when selecting and using NHPs. Supplement labels in Canada must contain specific information, including:
- Product name
- Recommended dosage
- A list of ingredients
- The Natural Product Number (NPN)
The label must also include any warnings or precautions, as well as any potential side effects. The label should be clear and easy to read, with all information presented in both English and French.
Metro Supply Chain provides in-house kitting and holds NHP, and Drug Packaging and Labelling Licenses. We are also licensed for repacking, relabeling, and detailed inspections. For US brands, we can re-label or re-package your US products to make them sellable in Canada. This includes rework projects where ink-ed items are reprinted directly onto and re-packaged into new boxes. This is commonly done to meet bilingual packaging language requirements in Canada.
Metro Supply Chain’s in-house licensed labeling and packaging activities help streamline operations, cutting out additional handling and transportation costs, and reducing the risk of product loss or errors.
4. Tracking and monitoring of natural health products:
Natural Health Product fulfillment partners must have sophisticated lot tracking to properly manage the NHP lifecycle. Lot tracking is a technology that is implemented to trace ingredients and products back to a manufacturer. It is a vital component of the NHP supply chain in case there is a need to remove expired ingredients or if there is a product recall. It is also important to have real-time visibility into your shipments, so you can track their progress and ensure that they arrive on time.
Metro Supply Chain’s warehouse management system (WMS) meets Health Canada requirements including recall reporting and retention sampling. Tracking lots and expiration dates help Metro Supply Chain deliver high-quality goods to consumers with every order. You can also see dynamic, up-to-date reports of your business metrics with Metro Supply Chain’s easy to use, intuitive business intelligence reporting, including on-hand inventory, order status, percentage of fulfilled orders, and shipment tracking.
Your trusted health and wellness 3PL partner:
Whether you’re selling vitamins, supplements, herbal teas, greens powders, or any other health related product, it’s important to partner with a 3PL that has extensive experience in the health and wellness industry. By partnering with a trusted and reliable 3PL provider like Metro Supply Chain, your natural health product or nutraceutical brand can expect seamless order processing, safe handling, efficient inventory management, and timely delivery to customers. Furthermore, with our stringent quality assurance processes you can be assured your products meet the standards and regulations needed to be sold in Canada and to maintain the trust of your loyal customers. To learn more and request a consultation with one of Metro Supply Chain’s health, beauty, and wellness experts, click here.
