Sports Supplement Purity: Choosing a Certification Program
Sports supplements are a big part of how many athletes and fitness enthusiasts train. But a surprising number of supplements on the market have been found to contain banned or potentially harmful substances that are often not listed on the label. Real-life examples include stimulants, anabolic steroids, beta-2 agonists.
If your customers are competitive athletes, they rely on your business to help them avoid banned substances that could lead to an unintentional doping violation. Your customers who don’t compete still need assurance that your products don’t contain contaminants.
Sports nutrition customers are aware of these risks and their potential consequences, including losing the ability to compete. Your customers need to be able to trust that your products are free from substances that could put their health and their athletic career at risk.
Certification Programs for Sports Supplements
There are two certifications that sports nutrition supplement manufacturers can pursue:
- NSF Certified for Sport®
- Informed Sports Certification Program
Both certifications help assure customers that your products are free from dangerous and banned substances, but they do have some different requirements. As a supplement manufacturer, you should think about your clientele and what they value when deciding which is the best fit for your business and product lines.
What is NSF Certified for Sport®?
NSF Certified for Sport® is a certification program offered by NSF International, a US-based organization that certifies and inspects products and facilities in a broad range of industries. In the world of sports nutrition, they have worked with regulators, sports governing bodies, and industry to develop their sports supplement certification process.
Sports nutrition supplement providers must meet three requirements to attain certification from NSF:
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Registration: The manufacturer must first attain federally-regulated Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registration, which involves two yearly audits of the facility, plus a review of the manufacturing, quality control, cleaning and sanitization, sourcing and traceability, staff training, and product recall procedures.
- Annual Product Testing: Each year, NSF performs product testing for potentially harmful contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and microbiological contaminants. The certification team also tests samples of the product to ensure label accuracy. The product’s actual contents are compared with its ingredient list, and protein content and caffeine content claims are verified.
- Banned Substances Testing: NSF tests each lot of product for 280 banned substances, and verified lots are posted on NSF’s website. NSF also reviews any change to the formulation or sourcing of raw materials that go into certified products.
What is Informed Sport Certification?
British-based LGC Group is the company behind Informed Sport Certification. The company works closely with anti-doping organizations and major sports authorities to develop their list of banned substances in sport for testing.
Each sports nutrition provider who seeks Informed Sport certification undergoes specific review and testing processes:
- Review of Product Ingredients and Company Procedures: First, the certification team reviews each products' ingredient list, raw material sourcing, manufacturing procedures, staff training, branding, and retail plans to evaluate risks.
- Sample Testing: Next, pre-marketing samples are tested for over 250 substances that are either banned in sport or considered harmful to health, including substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited list and those banned by the NFL, MLB, AFL, NCAA, and others.
- Post-Certification Product Testing: After certification, each batch of product must be tested before it is sold to consumers. Results from each batch are made available on the Informed Sport website, and an additional sample from each batch is saved for the duration of the product’s shelf life.
- Blind Sample Testing: Blind samples from product sold in stores are collected and tested between one and four times per year, and the Informed Sport team reviews manufacturing procedures on a regular basis.
Which Certification is Right for You?
Given the complexity and frequent updates to anti-doping codes, it is key to have a robust certification and testing program in place. Here is a summary of the differences between NSF Certified for Sport and the Informed Sport certification Program.
- NSF tests for herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, and microbial contaminants in addition to 280 banned substances. Informed Sport tests for over 250 banned substances.
- Informed Sport and NSF both test every batch/lot of product for banned substances, and results are available on both websites. Informed Sport states that they do this testing before the product hits shelves.
- Informed Sport certified products are blind tested using samples purchased from retail stores 1-4 times a year.
- Both programs verify product contents against ingredient lists. NSF additionally verifies protein and caffeine content in the product.
- NSF Certified for Sport requires the manufacturing facility to go through the GMP registration process.
Both programs have value, so which one to choose depends on your company, your customers, and their needs. Think about how your product is sourced and manufactured and what your customers’ concerns around safety may be. If your clientele is concentrated in a specific sport or a specific country, which certification does the relevant governing body prefer?
For example, while the US Anti-Doping Agency recognizes only NSF Certified for Sport, many European sports organizations recognize Informed Sport certification. Many athletic organizations and governing bodies recognize either certification, but some publish a clear preference.
Expert Guidance and Testing for Certification Success
With all these considerations and the complexity of the certification process, you need an experienced partner on your side. Eurofins can help. Our experts are ready to consult regarding your product and its best path toward successful certification. When you’re ready, we can provide testing to support both NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport certifications.