UK supplements comparison website established
that rates the 20,000+ products on-market there in a bid to provide
consumers with unbiased purchasing advice.
To begin with, more than 400 products have been rated for quality and value by a panel of medical doctors, consumer advocates and nutritionists. "There are over 20,000 different supplements on the market, and anyone connected with the natural health industry knows how hard it is to know which to choose," said panel chair, Janey Lee Grace, who is a broadcaster and 'natural lifestyle' author. "Whilst expensive products aren't necessarily the best, some cheap products just don't contain enough active ingredient to be effective and so are a waste of money," "And as there's no standard dose or pack size, it's hard for the consumer to compare like for like. It's confusing, but with the right information, it's possible to find a good quality, good value supplement." The site's founder, Dr Nigel Plummer, a biotechnologist who has worked in the pharmaceuticals and supplements industry for 20 years and is the owner of Wales-based supplements contract manufacturer, Cultech, said the site aims to assess every product on market, given time. How it works The site is broken down into sections devoted to supplements reviews, health benefits and supplements categories. Supplements manufacturers can have products "fast tracked" for a one-off fee "on the understanding that the expert panel's decision is final and that, whatever the outcome, the review will be posted on the site." Manufacturers will be charged a fee every time consumers click on their product with all profits going to an as yet undefined charity. Reviewed products are selected from supermarkets, chemists, independent retailers, mail order and the internet and include most popular brands. Reviews are revisited after six months to account for reformulations as well as labelling and price changes. Manufacturers can sign up for a paid-for "as seen on supplementscompared.com" service run by the site and retailers can list their premises on the site for free but must pay for a description and web link. "Best product" and "worth a look" badges will be attached to products such as those free from artificial sweeteners, those with extra nutrients or those that afford easy consumption. Badge winners can pay to promote this fact throughout the site. Rating criteria The supplementscompared.com expert panel have established quality benchmarks that follow Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) except where none exist, in which case the panel has determined levels they view as being sufficient for products "to deliver expected benefits." "Supplementscompared.com provides a 'level playing field' for supplements where each product is assessed on its merits," it said. "Any manufacturer may have their product reviewed and, unlike in the market place, branding, promotional spend and distribution channels make no difference to the outcome." "The supplementscompared.com expert panel looks at how much it costs to obtain the quality benchmark in each type of supplement, calculates the range of costs between different products and then assigns each product a value rating according to where it falls in that range," it said. Health claims for particular nutrients are assessed as having either:
little or no supportive evidence
some supportive evidence
substantial supportive evidence
Consumer confusion "Supplementscompared.com builds on the advice that people receive when they visit their high street store by offering reassurance to those who would like to try a supplement but don't know which to choose," said Grace."It's an excellent way of sparking new interest in health supplements. There are all kinds of comparison sites on the internet, but nothing else like this for health. I think it's nothing less than a revolution for the natural health industry." The panel consists of Grace; health writer Dr John Briffa; Dr Charles Danino GP and pharmacist; Kate Neil, director of the Centre of Nutrition Education; Heather Rosa, principle lecturer and programme director in Nutritional Therapy at Westminster University; and professor Sonia Williams, emeritus professor, dentist, nutritional therapist and lecturer in nutrition at the Northern College of Acupuncture. Supplementscompared.com is backed by a national TV, print and web advertising and PR campaign fronted by Grace.
