SAI Global in Conjunction With the Personal Care Products Council Announces the Official Launch of the Personal Care Manufacturing Assessment Program (PCMAP) at the Personal Care Products Council’s 2012 Annual Meeting in Naples, FL.

CLEVELAND, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SAI Global in conjunction with the Personal Care Products Council ('the Council') announces the official launch of the Personal Care Manufacturing Assessment Program (PCMAP).

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Developed in alliance with the Council with extensive input from product manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, PCMAP is the first customized industry-wide assurance program that provides cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers with the tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the various processes that contribute to product quality and to demonstrate their adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Council and industry requirements and other applicable cosmetic product quality standards.

The program includes training, an implementation guidance document, the option for pre-assessments and the option to choose either an 'Assessment' or an 'SAI Global Certified Assessment' depending on the organization's preference and their customer's requirements.

PCMAP is based on the international standard ISO 22716 which provides Guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practices for the Cosmetics industry. The guidelines cover the quality aspects relating to production, control, storage and shipment of cosmetic products, with the objective of meeting defined quality specifications and reducing the risk of adulteration of cosmetic products at all stages.

In addition to the requirements of ISO 22716, the assessment criteria have been enhanced by incorporating quality requirements / specifications based on input from the Council's QA Sub-Committee, industry members and other sources, including FDA, IPEC-PQG, ICH and other GMP Guidelines with the intent of promoting adherence to high standards and allowing a more evidence based assessment.

PCMAP is designed to address the unique needs of different manufacturers / supplier categories based on the potential risk levels, taking into account the types of products / ingredients manufactured and the extent of control exercised at various stages in the supply chain.

The Council has identified six main categories for cosmetic product and ingredient manufacturers and has defined specific assessment criteria for each of these categories. The manufacturing categories include packaging manufacturers, manufacturers of cosmetic ingredients, OTC excipients, OTC active ingredients, and cosmetic and OTC contract manufacturers.

Customized public and onsite PCMAP training has been developed to help individuals understand, implement and audit the program.

The PCMAP – Understanding and Implementing Course is an interactive training course that describes the essential components required to implement a quality and safety management system that ensures the proper production, control, storage and shipment of cosmetic products.

The PCMAP – Auditing Course provides attendees with practical examples on how to conduct an audit and verify compliance with the program requirements, which is an important component of an effective quality management system.

The PCMAP Implementation Guide provides tips and implementation guidance structured around each of the PCMAP requirements.

The PCMAP Pre-Assessment provides organizations with an opportunity to experience how an assessment works in practice and is intended to identify any gaps that may exist between the PCMAP requirements and the existing processes as implemented in the facility.

Once the PCMAP requirements are fully established and implemented, the organization can choose one of two available options for assessment. Both are performed in the same way using the same criteria by a highly qualified, independent assessor or assessment team.

The two types of assessment offered are:

1. 'Assessment' - This is a one-time Assessment and may be suitable for manufacturers whose customers require assurance of conformity to the PCMAP requirements, but do not require follow up of audit findings and do not require ongoing annual assessments on a continual basis.
2. 'SAI Global Certified Assessment' - Under this assessment type, SAI Global verifies satisfactory implementation of any corrective actions identified during the Initial Certification Assessment and conducts Annual Assessments to verify continuing conformity to the PCMAP requirements on an ongoing basis.

Organizations subscribing to PCMAP can benefit from the structured assessment approach that can help to promote improved adherence to GMPs, improve quality processes and business performance.

One of the biggest benefits of the program is the availability of an independent Assessment Report based on customized industry specific criteria, which can reduce the need for multiple Customer and Supplier audits and provide significant cost savings.

The PCMAP Portal is an online portal that brings all these elements together. It can used to share assessment reports with multiple customers, find and source suppliers, and book assessments. The Council has provided key input and valuable insight to all aspects of PCMAP.

To obtain more information on PCMAP, SAI Global offers a complimentary recorded webinar providing an overview of the framework of PCMAP and showing how the effective implementation of a structured program based on PCMAP criteria can enable cosmetic product and ingredient manufacturers to maintain and demonstrate conformity with quality assurance practices and the guidelines on GMPs for cosmetic products. The seminar is presented by, Khurshed Kutky, Manager of Risk Management Solutions at SAI Global and Joanne Nikitakis Senior Cosmetic Chemist at the Council.  Download Now!

Company Profile:

SAI Global helps organizations manage risk, achieve certification and drive improvement by providing training, registration audits, and supplier management programs that can improve business performance. With more than 800 auditors and 60,000 registrations worldwide, we are a global leader committed to exceptional customer service and advancing business excellence.

SAI Global is focused not only on evaluating business practices against a standard, but also on understanding how compliance with those standards can improve the operations of our customers. SAI Global auditors are industry veterans with years of experience in the sectors they serve, enabling them to interpret the standards precisely.

SAI Global Training and Improvement Solutions specializes in offering a range of innovative learning approaches and tool-based solutions to enable both individuals and organizations to achieve key objectives.

Contact: Bernadette Martinez - 1(800)247-0802, bernadette.martinez@saiglobal.com

SOURCE SAI Global