In the last decade, the dietary and nutritional supplements industry has rapidly expanded. The fact that these products do not receive the same regulation as prescription or over-the-counter drugs, raises questions in the minds of many consumers. This is why NSF developed the nation's first independent testing standard and product certification program, strictly for dietary supplements. The program protects consumers, by testing for harmful levels of contaminants, while certifying that supplements contain the ingredients listed on the label, and absolutely nothing else
NSF’s Certified for Sport® testing program helps confirm that sports supplements and sports nutritional products do not contain substances banned by many major athletic organizations. NSF developed this program to meet the growing demand of athletes, coaches and parents who are concerned about banned substances in sports.
QAI is a USDA-accredited certifying agency (ACA), approved to provide organic certification in accordance with the USDA's National Organic Program. Certification is important for consumers, the industry and the regulatory community, in order to assure organic integrity from farm to retail shelf. A product marked "certified organic", means that an accredited certifying agency, such as QAI, has verified that the product labeled as "organic", is true to that organic labeling claim, as specified by the National Organic Program, in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.
The FDA is responsible for protecting public health and all manufacturers of dietary supplements should have their facility registered with the FDA. Dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors are not required to obtain approval from FDA before marketing dietary supplements. While the FDA expects manufacturers of dietary supplements to comply with GMPs, the FDA does not certify that companies are compliant.
Founded in 1936, the Natural Products Association is the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization, dedicated to the natural products industry. NPA represents over 1,400 members, accounting for more than 10,000 retail, manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution locations of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids. NPA unites a diverse membership, from the smallest health food store to the largest dietary supplement manufacturer.
When your product or establishment is certified Kosher, shoppers know that you comply with a strict policy of kosher food laws, including cleanliness, purity and quality. But kosher means more than responsible food preparation. Kosher refers to a set of intricate biblical laws that detail the types of food that a Jewish person may eat and the ways in which it may be prepared. To be certified Kosher, all ingredients in every product—and the process of preparing the product—must be certified for orthodox kosher-compliance too.
A quality assurance program for sports nutrition products, suppliers to the sports nutrition industry, and supplement manufacturing facilities. It is a monitoring program that certifies that a supplement product and/or raw material that bears the Informed-Choice logo has been ‘skip-lot’ tested (tested at least on a monthly basis) for banned substances by LGC’s world-class sports anti-doping lab. Supplement users can use the search function above to find products that have been through this certification process.
Health Canada is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible, and works to reduce health risks. They are Canada’s federal institution that is part of the Health Portfolio.