[Photo courtesy NSF International]
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
TRUSTED THIRD-PART Y CERTIFIERS
Independent, third-party testing is crucial for determining the trustworthiness of a dietary supplement. Today, there are many independent organizations that conduct third-party testing of products for purity, potency, safety and accuracy of marketing. CERTIFIED ORGANIC SUPPLEMENTS WILL BEAR ONE OF SEVERAL CERTIFYING AGENCIES’ L ABELS. SOME OF THE TOP OPTIONS ARE:
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is a United States Department of Agricultureaccredited organic certifying agency and trade association, located in Santa Cruz, Calif. Formed in 1973, CCOF was the first organic certification entity in the United States. Through The National Organic Program, the USDA ensures that food and supplements are produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity. “Organic” means 95% organic ingredients; “Made with organic___” means at least 70% organic ingredients; and specific organic ingredient listings will indicate the organic components in the Supplement Facts section. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO), formed in 1974, shares the most innovative methods for sustainable food production through a combination of partnerships and technical assistance. It also works with the National Organic Standards Board and Accredited Certifiers Association to push for rigorous and sensible changes that maintain the integrity of organic products.
IN ADDITION TO THESE ORGANIC OVERSEERS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER TRUSTED TESTING ORGANIZATIONS AND CERTIFIERS, INCLUDING:
Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) is the Food and Drug Administration’s main regulatory standard for ensuring human pharmaceutical quality. It verifies that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product.
The Non-GMO Project seal gives shoppers the assurance that a product has completed a comprehensive third-party verification for compliance with the Non-GMO Project Standard. Testing finished products is not a reliably accurate measure of GMO presence. Therefore, the Non-GMO Project Standard requires testing of individual ingredients or precursors, not finished products.
ConsumerLab.com, LLC (CL) is the leading provider of independent test results and information to help consumers and healthcare professionals identify the best-quality health and nutrition products. CL lets companies of all sizes have the quality of their products tested for potential inclusion in its list of Approved Quality products.
NSF International tests and certifies products to the requirements outlined in NSF/ANSI 173 – the American National Standard for Dietary Supplements. Products that earn this NSF certification must be produced in a manufacturing facility that is inspected twice annually to comply with Good Manufacturing Practices. Then the product is tested and the label’s claims are verified. Finally, NSF tests the product to make sure there are no harmful levels of specific contaminants or fraudulent ingredients.
ISURA is Canada’s only independent, notfor-profit natural health supplement and food product verification and certification organization. ISURA serves as an analytical competence center for the analysis of natural health products, raw food, and supplement materials at all stages of processing. Labdoor is an independent company that tests supplements to find out whether products contain what they claim and if they have any harmful ingredients or contaminants. It then grades and ranks those products, generates reports, and publishes that information for free so consumers can confidently buy the best supplements for their health.
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE HAVE BOTH YIELDED PROMISING EVIDENCE FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF MICRONUTRIENTS AND HERBAL COMPOUNDS 22
SONOMA HEALTH
NSF Certified for Sport supplements must meet the requirements of the Contents Certified standard plus products are tested on a lot-by-lot basis for more than 280 athletic-banned substances. Products that earn this certification are the cleanest products on the market based on those testing and certification requirements. The designation helps athletes, dieticians, coaches, and consumers around the world make safer decisions when choosing sports supplements. US Pharmacopoeia (USP) is an independent, scientific nonprofit organization focused on building trust in the supply of safe, quality medicines. Through rigorous science and the public quality standards they set, USP helps protect patient safety and improve the health of people around the world.
