In developing an evidence-based line of medical foods and dietary supplements at Mend, one of the very important investments we made immediately was to obtain third party certification. The process adds cost and lead time to our production, but we felt it was a very important investment to make, to raise the bar on quality and give our clients confidence in the integrity of our products.
In our experience, the professional audience (RDs, MDs, etc.) understand how important third-party testing and certification is and give it strong preference. However, I've recently come across data to suggest that consumer awareness remains below 50% and that only a third of consumers are giving preference to products with third party certifications. That's disappointing and hence this brief blog post to underscore the importance and to hopefully help spread awareness.
The dietary supplement industry has exploded, with over 75% of Americans taking some form of supplement regularly. But here’s the truth far too many consumers don’t realize: not all supplements are created equal—most haven't completed or published any clinical studies, and far too many may not even contain what they claim on their label.
This is where third-party certification comes in. It’s a mark of trust in an industry that, without it, can be a bit of the Wild West.
What Is Third-Party Certification?
Third-party certification is when an independent organization—not affiliated with the supplement brand or manufacturer—tests a supplement to verify that:
- The ingredients listed on the label are actually in the product in precise doses that are listed (a study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed 30 weight-loss supplements and found that 83% had inaccurate labels. Specifically, 80% listed ingredients that were not detected in the product, and 23% contained undisclosed compounds. A broader study encompassing 57 dietary supplement products revealed that 89% did not accurately declare the ingredients found in the products).
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The supplement does not contain harmful contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, or banned substances (a study by NSF revealed that up to 25% of non-certified supplements of non-certified supplements purchased online contained banned or dangerous substances, including stimulants and steroids. A 2020 report from Consumer Reports found that many herbal supplements contained dangerous levels of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium).
- The product is manufactured in a safe, clean, and controlled environment (In 2023, the FDA conducted 501 inspections (461 domestic and 40 foreign) of dietary supplement facilities. Approximately 48% of these inspections resulted in the issuance of Form 483s, indicating observed violations of cGMP regulations).
In the U.S., while the FDA does regulate and oversee the industry, it does not approve each product for safety or effectiveness before it hits the market. Manufacturers are largely responsible for ensuring their own product quality, and that opens the door to the serious issues we have noted above around contamination, mislabeled ingredients, etc.
At Mend we utilize NSF and have also occasionally utilized Informed Choice. Below are the most common labs for third party certification:
- NSF International
- USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia)
- ConsumerLab
- Informed Choice/Informed Sport
These groups ensure the manufacturing lab meets cGMP / FDA standards and is certified and that random samples from the brand are rigorously tested through established methodologies.
Why Consumers Should Look for the Seal
Third-party certification helps level the playing field. It gives the consumer confidence that:
- They’re actually getting what you paid for
- They’re not unknowingly consuming harmful substances
- The product has been produced with quality and safety in mind
In other words, it’s one of the only ways to verify the integrity of a supplement in a largely unregulated industry.
Unfortunately, third-party certification of dietary supplements is not widely adopted across the industry. A 2012 study examining products in military commissaries, exchanges, and civilian retail stores found that only 12% of available supplements were certified by an independent scientific agency.
Similarly, a 2015 review of dietary supplements dispensed by military treatment facilities between 2007 and 2011 revealed that less than 3.6% of the products were certified or verified by well-known evaluation organizations.
These findings highlight that a significant majority of dietary supplements lack independent third-party certification, underscoring the importance for consumers to seek out certified products to ensure quality and safety.
The Bottom Line
Without third-party certification, there’s no guarantee that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle—or that it’s safe to consume. In fact, there is a very high probability, you're not getting what you paid for and possibly something harmful.
We need more third-party labs, and acceptance of more labs by the Professionals, to reduce the costs and barriers to testing so that certification becomes more widespread. Furthermore, we need to continue to raise the awareness of this topic.
The natural products industry as a very important role to play in the future of health in our society. The integrity of the products people are consuming will be paramount.
This article was written by Eziah Syed, Co- founder & CEO at Mend.
