Oct. 10, 2002 -- Rockville, Md. - The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is pleased to announce that Salt Lake City, Utah.-based Weider Nutrition International Inc. will participate in USP's Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP). Weider Nutrition International Inc., which develops, manufactures, markets, distributes and sells vitamins, nutritional supplements and sports nutrition products, becomes the fourth company to join USP's DSVP program. Weider will initially submit its Schiff brand of Move Free joint care products through the DSVP certification process.

"We are very pleased to have Weider Nutrition International participate in the DSVP program," said John T. Fowler, senior vice president and chief operating officer at USP. "As a leading producer of dietary supplement products, participation in DSVP will help Weider inform consumers that its Schiff products are made using high manufacturing standards."

"Quality is one of the defining attributes of the Schiff brand," said Bruce Wood, chief executive office of Weider Nutrition International. "As the flagship product of the Schiff supplement line, Move Free is already widely known and trusted by consumers. Our participation in the USP DSVP program is intended to further develop this trust. We are also looking forward to submitting other Schiff vitamin/mineral/supplement products for DSVP certification in the future."

The DSVP program was launched in November 2001 to help inform and safeguard the growing number of consumers who use dietary supplements. The program responds to the need to assure the public that dietary supplement products contain the ingredients stated on the product label. If a product submitted to DSVP meets USP's rigorous standards, it will be awarded the USP-DSVP certification mark. The mark helps assure consumers, health care professionals, and supplement retailers that a product:

• Contains the declared ingredients on the product label;
• Contains the amount or strength of ingredients declared on the product label;
• Meets requirements for limits on potential contaminants; and
• Has been manufactured properly by complying with USP and proposed FDA standards for "good manufacturing practices" (GMPs).

When a Schiff product meets DSVP's criteria, that dietary supplement will be granted the use of the DSVP certification mark for display on the product's label.

It is anticipated the Schiff Move Free line of products will start carrying the DSVP certification mark by January 2003.

USP is a non-government organization that promotes the public health by establishing state-of-the-art standards to ensure the quality of medicines and other health care technologies. These standards are developed by a unique process of public involvement and are recognized worldwide. In addition, USP has public health programs that focus on promoting optimal health care, including the Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP), Health Care Information, and Patient Safety. USP is a not-for-profit organization that achieves its goals through the contributions of volunteers representing pharmacy, medicine, and other health care professions, as well as science, academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry, and consumer organizations. For more information, visit www.usp.org/e-newsroom.