Quality Assurance

NOW raises red flags after creatine gummy testing

01-Mar-2024 By Asia Sherman

In its latest round of supplement policing, natural product manufacturer NOW reported that half the creatine gummy brands it tested failed to meet dosage claim on label. This was not the only red flag raised.

Alkemist Labs expands testing capabilities, protects COAs with HealthLOQ

29-Jan-2024 By Stephen Daniells

“We finally launched the full suite,” said Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs, after the company announced an expansion to its testing capabilities that now includes microbiological and residual solvents testing.

NOW testing program reveals ‘alarming quality failings’ of berberine products online

20-Dec-2023 By Asia Sherman

Natural products manufacturer NOW has reported that dozens of "no name" berberine supplements sold on Amazon and Walmart.com do not meet potency claims on label.

FSAI finds zinc and selenium label inaccuracies exceeding tolerances

27-Jun-2023 By Nikki Hancocks

A new study comparing the labelled and actual contents of zinc and selenium supplements, finds these products regularly contain less of the mineral than labelled, with some even falling outside the allowed labelling tolerances.

Setting specs, then verifying them through intense inspection avoids herbal supply problems, experts say

01-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Plant sourcing experts say that whole herbal raw materials can contain all of the nasty bits the natural world has to offer, but proper procedures can—and routinely do—turn those botanicals into safe and clean ingredients.

Majority of immune supplements bought on Amazon found to have labels that don’t match contents

11-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

A study published yesterday by a group that included researchers from the University of Mississippi found that fewer than half of 30 immune supplements bought on Amazon had labels that accurately reflected their contents.

Updated version

Despite dismal past, experts say DNA tests still hold great promise, though view is not universal

03-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

The use of DNA technology holds great promise for botanical ingredient identification, experts have said. But whether these tests are as yet fit for purpose is something still not universally accepted within the industry.

‘Not surprising at all’: Study highlights quality issues with Colombian whey protein products

28-Jul-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Protein content of select commercial whey protein products sold in Colombia is not matching the levels claimed on the labels, says a new study that highlights the quality issues in this South American market.

NOW reveals new trick spotted on Amazon to deceive consumers about product quality

28-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

In an ongoing market surveillance program, supplement manufacturer NOW has revealed a new trick spotted on Amazon to deceive consumers about what a product’s testing results actually mean.

CHPA adds Larisa Pavlick as new Sr Director of QA and Technical Affairs

22-Jun-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Pavlick joins the Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s regulatory and scientific affairs team after almost six years at the United Natural Product Alliance (UNPA).

Taiyo's new certifications align with Amazon, Canadian requirements

15-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

Branded ingredient supplier Taiyo has announced new certifications on its products that will better align them both with new Amazon and Canadian governmental requirements.

Alkemist Labs launches quality program featuring easy to read test results, verification seal for labels

24-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Alkemist Labs has announced a new quality and transparency program featuring validated, simplified test documents that can be shared with clients and customers. It’s the culmination of a seven year development process, the company said.

Low potency products still the norm on Amazon, NOW finds in CoQ10, quercetin tests

09-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Supplement manufacturer NOW found in a new set of tests of CoQ10 and quercetin supplements sold on Amazon that quality problems persist for products sold on the site and in some ways may have gotten worse.

Dr. Low Dog: Mainstream healthcare providers increasingly confused by complex supplement formulas

06-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

The success of the supplement industry carries a poison pill within it. A prominent physician told attendees at a recent botanical science conference that the vast number of products and ingredients on the market swamps the ability of mainstream health...

Researchers propose ‘Probiotics Identity Card’ based on DNA and flow cytometry

21-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

Researchers based in Italy and Ireland have proposed a two step approach to validating and enumerating probiotic supplements. A stakeholder group commented that the approach holds promise for better quality control within the industry.

Majority of NMN products tested by ChromaDex had virtually none of active ingredient

14-Jan-2022 By Hank Schultz

Supplement manufacturer ChromaDex alleges that testing has revealed that more than half of NMN anti aging supplements being sold on Amazon contained almost none of the bioactive molecule.

Amazon requires testing for illegal weight loss, sexual enhancement ingredients

02-Nov-2021 By Hank Schultz

Amazon has updated its specifications for dietary supplements with a new set of requirements for sellers of weight management or sexual enhancement products as well as changes to COA stipulations.

Most glutathione brands bought on Amazon pass NOW’s tests

14-Oct-2021 By Hank Schultz

NOW has released its latest round of testing of products sold on Amazon and found that the glutathione supplements it bought were of reasonable quality, though some failures in potency and purity were still observed.

NOW unveils new method for finding pesticide residues in complex botanicals

31-Aug-2021 By Hank Schultz

Scientists at supplement manufacturer NOW have validated a new test method for finding pesticide residues in difficult-to-analyze botanicals, such as Hawthorn extract.

NYAG crisis forced industry to improve via SSCI initiative, event panel asserts

16-Jul-2021 By Hank Schultz

The Supplement Safety Compliance Initiative has strengthened the industry in the wake of New York Attorney General affair and has put it in a far better position to deal with future challenges, attendees at a recent event were told.

NOW burnishes lab reputation with ISO imprimatur for certain tests

07-Jun-2021 By Hank Schultz

Supplement manufacturer NOW has received ISO accreditation for its laboratories, an unusual step for an in house operation that the company says will put it in better stead to keep up with new retailer requirements such as those put forth by Amazon.

Natural Grocers reiterates quality commitment in relaunch of private label line

06-May-2021 By Hank Schultz

Natural Grocers is revamping its line of private label supplement products for new market realities and to better fit the company’s evolving market position. The new line, branded as Natural Grocers Brand Vitamins & Supplements, encompasses more...

‘Steps in the right direction’: Amazon updates/ expands CoA options for dietary supplement sellers

19-Apr-2021 By Stephen Daniells

Tech giant Amazon has updated its requirements for dietary supplements, with notable changes to Certificates of Analysis (CoA) issued by in-house laboratories.

CRN seeks to engage retailers on quality of in-house labs, reliability of GMP audits

29-Jan-2021 By Hank Schultz

The proliferation of certification schemes by major retailers threatens to create a costly and complex path to market for dietary supplements, the Council for Responsible Nutrition warns.

CRN: Quality Is the Price of Entry—Not a Point of Difference

22-Dec-2020 By Steve Mister, President & CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition

CRN President and CEO Steve Mister argues that cooperation on quality issues will benefit supplement manufacturers and retailers alike.

Amazon issues sweeping quality specs for supplements sold on its site

04-Dec-2020 By Hank Schultz

Amazon has begun requiring supplement marketers to provide comprehensive testing results and other documentation in order to be able to sell products on its site.

Stakeholders find some alignment with AMA’s call for more FDA enforcement of supplement market

19-Nov-2020 By Hank Schultz

The American Medical Association has issued a new policy on dietary supplements that calls for more enforcement from FDA, labeling changes and other measures. Industry stakeholders found points of agreement with the group’s position, but also highlighted...

NOW’s tests reveal almost half of ALA products purchased on Amazon were understrength

13-Nov-2020 By Hank Schultz

Almost half of ALA supplements purchased on Amazon were understrength, the latest round of testing by supplement manufacturer NOW reveals.

NutraIngredients-USA Awards 2020

Years of service to best practices made Suzanne Shelton natural fit as NutraChampion

15-Jul-2020 By Hank Schultz

Suzanne Shelton, a winner of a NutraIngredients-USA NutraChampion 2020 award, took an alternative path early in life as a groundbreaking Chicago DJ and rode that rhythm into becoming one of the leading voices within the natural products industry.

New quality advocacy group brings medical, pharmaceutical groups to table with supplement industry stakeholders

27-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

A new stakeholder group has come together to push for quality and transparency in the dietary supplement industry. Called the Dietary Supplement Quality Collaborative (DSQC), the group published a policy paper recently as part of its public debut.

NOW testing reveals CoQ10, SAMe products sold on Amazon to be of almost uniformly low potency

14-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

Supplement manufacturer NOW reports that among CoQ10 and SAMe products it purchased recently on Amazon and subjected to analytical testing, only a few came close to meeting label claim for the amount of active ingredients, while most had little or none...

Guest article

ONHA’s view: Don’t let strong sales in 2019 obscure important issues

20-Dec-2019 By Karen Howard, CEO and Executive Director of Organic & Natural Health Association

Successful evaluation of the progress or travails of 2019 requires more than measuring growth in dietary supplements sales, which by that measure alone indicates we had a banner year.

New point-and-shoot method can measure omega-3 levels in fish oil at every step of supply chain

16-Dec-2019 By Guan Yu Lim

Researchers from New Zealand have found a way of using Raman spectroscopy to quickly analyse omega-3 fatty acid concentration in intact soft gel fish oil capsules without destroying them.

New AHP monograph on oshá sheds light on botanical said to be ‘gift of the bear’

07-Dec-2018 By Hank Schultz

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia has released a new monograph on oshá, or bear root, a wildcrafted herb of the American west. The publication is the latest in a series that AHP has been producing for a number of years.

Call for public NMR database viewed favorably by industry experts

04-Dec-2018 By Hank Schultz

A recent call by a formidable team of researchers for a publicly accessible NMR database was met with approval by experts in the natural products industry.

Guest article

Probiotics go mainstream at Expo West

23-Mar-2017 By George Paraskevakos, Executive Director of the International Probiotics Association

Probiotics have truly arrived. From Dr. Oz earlier this year, to the Natural Product Expo West show in Anaheim, one might say it is the invasion of the microorganism armies. As I walked the floor at NPEW this year and looked at all the exhibitors from...