SuppCo, a forward-thinking company, has introduced a groundbreaking certification program to revolutionize the dietary supplement industry. This initiative, TESTED by SuppCo, is designed to address a critical issue: ensuring the accuracy and integrity of active ingredients in supplements. With a bold mission to transform consumer trust, SuppCo is taking a stand against the systemic failure of the industry, as highlighted by their earlier testing initiatives. These initiatives revealed a startling truth: nearly half of the top-selling supplements failed to meet basic label accuracy standards.
The new program complements SuppCo's existing TrustScore system, which evaluates supplement quality. TESTED by SuppCo goes a step further by certifying what's actually in the bottles of these supplements. Jordan Glenn, the head of science at SuppCo, explains that this certification is an extension of their previous testing efforts, which exposed the discrepancy between what's labeled and what's inside. By certifying products, SuppCo aims to create a closed loop where TrustScore helps identify trustworthy products, and TESTED by SuppCo confirms that trust in the real world.
The initial testing rounds focused on creatine, NAD+, urolithin A, and berberine supplements. Shockingly, 22 products contained only 0% to 3% of their listed active ingredients. This revelation underscores the need for a more rigorous approach to quality control, from raw ingredient sourcing to final formulation verification. The testing process involves submitting products to an independent ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, and those meeting or exceeding 95% of their labeled claims earn certification. All results, whether certified or not, are transparently shared on SuppCo's product pages, empowering consumers to make informed choices.
SuppCo's certification program is not the first of its kind, but it addresses a fundamental structural issue. Companies like ConsumerLab, NSF International, and the United States Pharmacopeia have also aimed to ensure supplement label accuracy, identity, purity, and quality. However, SuppCo's approach is unique in its focus on closing a 'meaningful loophole' where a product can pass certification tests using a carefully selected lot but still fail to deliver what's promised in the bottle. This loophole has been exploited by companies like NOW Foods, which has conducted its own testing, revealing widespread labeling and potency problems.
The certification process involves annual testing to ensure compliance, with non-compliant products guided through remediation before retesting. Brands pay a certification fee to cover the costs of independent testing, program operations, and licensing. As consumer expectations rise and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, SuppCo's certification program emerges as a crucial step towards a more transparent and accountable supplement industry. It empowers consumers to make informed choices and holds brands accountable for the quality of their products. With over 650,000 users actively tracking their supplement routines on SuppCo, the visibility of certification results, including failures, is a powerful tool to drive industry-wide change.
