SUPPLEMENTS
THE JOURNEY OF FROM FIELD T
BYKATE HORE
RNUTR (Animal) Snr Nutritionist at NAF
Granules to ahigh specification functional feed, like apremiumjoint supplement. But how many of us know what goes into developing a supplement, and some of the simple points to look for to ensure you’re getting the best for your horse or pony? The following are some of the steps we need to take to get our latest product off the ideas page and on to your feed store shelves.
M
IDEAS The idea for a product may come from a
number of different avenues. That may be something as simple as a conversation with you, as horse owners, that gets us thinking, or it may be something more technical. Here at NAF our vets and nutritionist regularly attend equine health and animal nutrition conferences to keep ourselves up to date with the latest in nutrition research. It may be that latest findings in equine health, or something exiting in herbal complementary medicine, can help us in developing a new product, or improving our existing range.
RESEARCH From the first ideas we need to research
our options for what will be used in the supplement. Partly we are bound by legislation, as all feed ingredients and any technical additives we use need to
ost of us will feed our horses some form of supplement, from a simple product like Garlic
be registered in the UK and approved for use in horses. It can be frustrating that we don’t have a free rein, but the legislation is there for a good reason as it ensures the product is safe and effective for use. New herbs, particularly, may be sourced
from all over the world, and that can be a challenge for our Quality Control department! To ensure we only provide the best for our customers, and that we meet the strict credentials of our quality audits, we only ever buy from approved supplier who can trace each individual batch back to the fields where they were grown. It’s worth looking out for quality accreditation on labels, as it gives you the confidence for quality ingredients and strictly controlled production. Here at NAF we’re ‘GMP+’ accredited, which is one of the highest quality standards you can find in feed, recognised worldwide. You may also see ‘UFAS’, which is a good standard of quality, usually within the UK. Didyouknow?Thereisnolegal requirementforsupplementstoreach acertainqualitystandard.Withoutan independentaudit,suchasGMP+orUFAS, youcannotguaranteequalityproduction.
CLEAN SPORT As clean sport is an important issue for us
we next need to check the suitability of any new product for use in competition. This will include checking whether the ingredient, or it’s key constituents, are listed on the FEI Prohibited Database or not. As a global company we also need to be aware of local laws in some of our international markets, as they don’t always follow FEI guidelines. Also crucial to clean sport is a suitable
testing programme, as simply checking your ingredients aren’t listed isn’t enough, you also need to check for potential contamination. Here at NAF we test every batch of every raw material, and every batch of finished goods, as part of our BETA NOPS accreditation. Look for the BETA NOPS logo on feed and supplements to ensure your chosen product is regularly tested for NOPS (Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances), and is suitable for competition. Didyouknow?Routinetestingis happeningatalllevels,sokeepingyour coffeeandchoccybiscuitsinthefeed roomcouldresultinapositivedopetest?
TRIALS It’s important to us that we only produce
products which work, and so all of our new or improved recipes will be trialled
before use. Depending on the product, and what we’re looking to test, that may be anything from testing in-house on our own horses, asking our supported riders their opinion, undergraduate university trials or full blown clinical trials which may last over twelve months. Under EU law, supplements, like all feed, are legally prevented from making any medical claims, which means the results of our trials are rarely published, but rest assured that they are going on behind the scenes.
MARKETING Alongside the technical development will
be the Marketing development, after all, it doesn’t matter how good a product is, it won’t work if it stays sitting on the shop’s shelves! Therefore, our Marketing Department will talk to horse owners to ensure we get the right details like name and image, and that the right adverts and social media promotions are created to ensure that our customers know about our exciting new project.
PRODUCTION Once we’re happy that the product is the
right formulation and working well, and we have the marketing story planned, we will coordinate the launch – which can be easier said than done, as there are many balls to keep in the air! Our Purchasing Department have
to ensure the ingredients are all at our South Wales factory in time, often from all over the world. The Quality Control Department arrange all the necessary checks
10
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2018
For the latest
newsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk
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