Salt Lake City, UT--The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) and the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the use of nutritional dietary supplements and dosage-form animal health products nationally and internationally, according to a press release.

The release states that the agreement calls for both organizations to cooperate to advance the state of animal health products, safety and quality standards, supplements and food regulation, consumer use and confidence of products, the establishment of appropriate compliance requirements, and develop the Chinese marketplace for these products.

This MOU joins the NASC with 22 other partnerships that UNPA has signed with, according to the release. These partnerships include U.S. and international trade and non-profit organizations, academic institutions and many others.

Loren Israelsen, UNPA president, stated how groundbreaking this agreement is for the animal health products industry. “We see the companion animal health products category as a vital and growing sector of the natural products industry,” said Israelsen. “We have long respected the work that Bill Bookout and his team at NASC have been doing and felt the timing was right to formalize a relationship with this leading organization. Our partnership can go a long way toward the responsible and sustainable growth of the animal health products and supplements market, backed with solid science and standards for quality. In addition, UNPA will act as the pipeline for NASC member companies to enter the Chinese market.”

Bill Bookout, NASC president, also commented about the agreement between the two organizations. “We could not be more excited about the collaborative relationship with UNPA,” said Bill Bookout. “Loren is one of the most respected members of the industry, and the focus of UNPA has always been one of quality and responsibility, with the ultimate objective of increasing consumer confidence. Ultimately, our organizations are dedicated to helping our members maximize the opportunities to make a difference in the lives of both people and animals, while always looking toward the global marketplace. With new and dynamic developments in China, we think UNPA is a great partner to leverage our core strengths, which holds great promise for both organizations.”