The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C., has added 13 new companies to its membership roster. These companies include: Voting Members—Er-Kang Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.; Lief Labs; MusclePharm Corp.; and Paragon Laboratories; Associate Members—Bruna Seals; Call & Jensen; Mapi Group, Strategic Regulatory and Safety; NFP Property and Casualty Services, Inc.; Nicholas Hall & Company; Polsinelli PC; Qualyst Transporter Solutions; RNI Consulting; and Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP.
 
“We are pleased to welcome these 13 new companies to CRN, and are looking forward to working on their behalf,” said CRN president & CEO Steve Mister. “As our membership continues to grow, our association continues to grow stronger, positioning us to better protect and promote our industry.”
 
The new member companies are:
 
Voting Members
• Er-Kang Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.: Er-Kang Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2003, is one of the largest companies in China to manufacture excipients and APIs for tablets, injections, hard capsules, soft gels, pills and oral liquids. Er-Kang’s featured products in the dietary supplement industry are starch two-piece hard shell capsules (StarchCap) and starch materials for soft gels (StarchGel), that are 100 percent vegetarian, certified Halal and Kosher, and serve as alternatives to traditional gelatin capsules. 
 
• Lief Labs: Lief Labs is a solar powered contract manufacturer of dietary supplements with over 15 years of experience in concept/product development and manufacturing. Lief Labs’ NSF cGMP-certified facilities focus on manufacturing quality powders, tablets and capsules with batch-to-batch consistency, meeting and exceeding nationally recognized manufacturing standards.
 
• MusclePharm Corp.: MusclePharm is a scientifically driven, performance lifestyle company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes branded nutritional supplements. The company is committed to producing safe and effective sports nutrition products. MusclePharm is an award winning and a leading worldwide sports nutrition brand.
 
• Paragon Laboratories: Paragon Laboratories is a full-service contract manufacturer of high-quality nutritional tablets, capsules and powders. The facilities include production, packaging and warehousing, as well as in-house analytical and microbiological laboratories. Paragon’s customers worldwide benefit from Paragon’s GMP certifications, including NSF International, NSF Sport, and QAI Organic.
 
Associate Members
• Bruna Seals: Bruna Seals offers a complete line of closure sealing products with a global scale and service capability. The company has a relentless focus on innovative solutions, technical expertise and providing an industry leading service model for customers. Bruna Seals’ core product offering is ProTecSeals, which includes its family of induction seals and foam lining products. Other products offer unique security and anti-counterfeiting features to protect the consumer and brand integrity. 
 
• Call & Jensen: Call & Jensen is a full-service boutique litigation firm that handles high-stakes business matters throughout California and the U.S. Established in 1981 by lawyers from top law schools and firms, Call & Jensen practices in state and federal courts at all trial and appellate levels. From manufacturers to wholesalers, and distributors to retailers—the firm brings a wide array of litigation, transaction and regulatory services to the entire range of consumer product companies.
 
• Mapi Group, Strategic Regulatory and Safety (SRS): Mapi Group SRS works with companies in Canada, the U.S., the E.U., and internationally, to help plan and execute the optimal path to approval and compliance across multiple product types and jurisdictions. Mapi’s regulatory and quality compliance consultants supports natural health products, drug and medical device applications. In addition, Mapi provides quality assurance services, GMP and ISO audits, labeling and advertising reviews, strategy and government liaison services, training programs and more.  
 
• NFP Property and Casualty Services, Inc.: NFP Property and Casualty Services, Inc., is a leader in risk management and insurance brokerage, meeting the insurance needs of private and public companies both nationally and internationally, through big picture analysis and personal service. Established in 1960, NFP has been a member firm of National Financial Partners since 1999.
 
• Nicholas Hall & Company: Nicholas Hall & Company is an international specialist in OTC consumer health care and associated industries, including dietary supplements. With more than 35 years of industry experience, the company offers a range of products and services including consultancy, M&A and product brokerage, recruitment, in-house training and workshops, strategic data analysis, benchmarking expertise, and reports and periodicals covering the global industry.
 
• Polsinelli PC: Polsinelli PC, one of the nation’s fastest growing law firms, has more than 750 attorneys in 18 offices, serving corporations, institutions, entrepreneurs, and individuals nationally. Polsinelli helps clients understand and face challenges presented by regulations imposed by the FDA, USDA, and similar health and safety regulatory bodies worldwide.
 
• Qualyst Transporter Solutions: Qualyst Transporter Solutions is an exclusive provider of hepatic drug transporter products and contract research services utilizing patented technology. With over a decade of experience, Qualyst Transporter Solutions’ integrated model, coupled with its experience, can answer customers’ questions about compound clearance, drug transporter interactions, and cholestatic/hepatotoxic potential.
 
• RNI Consulting: RNI Consulting, an international regulatory consulting firm with specialized expertise in the areas of food, nutrition and health products, provides regulatory solutions for companies’ development efforts. RNI’s team offers strategic guidance and support through each step of regulatory compliance for food, dietary supplements, dietetic products, health products, and cosmetics. With offices in the U.S., France and Switzerland, RNI provides solutions that support research and development and product launches on a global scale.  
 
• Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP: A full-service business law firm, Womble Carlyle serves a wide range of regional, national and international clients in industries that include health care, life sciences, financial services, commercial real estate, intellectual property/patent, and telecommunications, as well as educational institutions and governmental bodies and agencies. The firm’s experience includes counseling consumer goods companies on labeling and marketing issues in high-stakes product liability and mass tort litigation. Most of these cases involve advanced medical and scientific issues in dispute.