TÜV SÜD Joins Technical Advisory Committee for Development of Global Standard of Consumer Products

Plymouth, Michigan. TÜV SÜD is pleased to announce that Scott Griggs, General Manager of Consumer Goods and Retail Services, will represent TÜV SÜD as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Retail Industry Leader Association on the development of the new Global Standard for Consumer Products (GSCP). Participation in this standard development organization helps further demonstrate TÜV SÜD's commitment to testing, inspection, and certification program for toys, children's products, apparel, and footwear worldwide.

As a result of the passage of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, manufacturers, distributors, and importers of consumer products are being held to an even higher level of scrutiny regarding the safety of their products. Beyond mandatory product safety testing for individual consumer products, companies must now also be concerned about the overall safety of their manufacturing and supplier operations, and be able to demonstrate that their production and/or procurement processes ensure the supply of safe consumer products of consistent quality.

The Global Standard for Consumer Products (GSCP) issued by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), and adopted by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), sets forth the safety requirements covering production and procurement processes, which include factory audits to ensure compliance. As a contributing TAC member, TÜV SÜD will help shape the specific requirements of the GSCP, including the factory audit procedures, and how manufacturers, distributors, and importers can bring their companies into compliance with GSCP requirements, and the expectations of retailers.

"TÜV SÜD has been very involved in supporting the implementation of the new BRC standard, and we were exceptionally pleased to be recognized as a leading Certification Body by BRC & RILA during a meeting in London in early 2010," states Mr. Jean-Louis Evans, Managing Director, TÜV SÜD / BABT in the United Kingdom. "We have the largest number of GPSC auditors on the ground today in China, and we are doubling the number of China- and India-based auditors through BRC training programs. We also plan to develop our Chinese operation as a critical location within the scheme in order to provide the best local service to our customers in China." "Chinese manufacturers are already calling us for discussions, training, and pre-assessment audits for GPSC," added Mr. Frederic Maury, Managing Director, TÜV SÜD Greater China, South region.

The Consumer Goods and Retail Services program offers a full line of services to companies operating in the Americas and to supply chains around the world, with a focus on quick, personalized service, competitive pricing, fast turnaround time, and training programs, further adding value to a client's needs. TÜV SÜD is a member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Technical Advisory Committee, Toy Industry Association (TIA), American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).