NSF supports USADA’s Supplement Safety Now Campaign as part of a solution to address steroid use, which complements NSF’s dietary supplement certification programs
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF International, a not-for-profit public health and safety organization that tests and certifies dietary supplements, has announced full support for the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) “Supplement Safety Now” campaign.
This campaign will create increased awareness around this important public health issue and help safeguard consumers from taking steroids and other illegal or controlled substances in products that are marketed as “safe and legal” dietary supplements.
“To be clear, products containing steroids and steroid precursors are not supplements, they are illegal drugs masquerading as dietary supplements,” said Dr. Lori Bestervelt, Senior V.P. and Chief Scientific Officer for NSF International.
“These dangerous and illegal products pose a significant public health risk and more stringent enforcement and independent surveillance is needed to better safeguard consumers.”
Recent reports and FDA warnings regarding steroid contamination in products sold as supplements in the U.S. continue to emphasize the need for testing and certification of dietary supplements and nutritional products to ensure they do not contain steroids and other banned substances and contaminants.
NSF International has been working on solutions that address this public health issue for nearly a decade, working in concert with sports organizations, anti-doping agencies and supplement manufacturers to develop certification programs that evaluate dietary supplements for steroids and other prohibited substances as well as other contaminants.
In 2001, NSF International developed the only accredited American national standard (NSF/ANSI Standard 173) regarding the safe manufacture of dietary supplements. NSF developed a Dietary Supplement Certification program based on this standard that tests products for contaminants and heavy metals, verifies that what’s on the label is in the bottle and audits manufacturing facilities to ensure they operate using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
Since 2004, NSF has partnered with sporting organizations to test and certify dietary supplements and sports nutritional products to ensure they are also free of athletic banned substances. Major League Baseball (MLB), the MLB Player’s Association, the National Football League (NFL), the NFL Player’s Association, Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), and the Canadian Centre for Ethical Sports (CCES) have all chosen NSF to help verify the products their athletes use are safe and free of banned substances.
More information about NSF’s Certified for Sport program is available at www.NSFsport.com.
Informational and Educational Links:
• Products that NSF has “Certified for Sport” can be found on NSF’s Web site. Dietary supplements that have been certified by NSF can be found on NSF’s Web site.
• www.nsfsport.com: This Web site provides information to help consumers, athletes, and coaches choose safer, quality products. Additional information, such as recent news stories on doping in sports and educational resources, can also be found on this Web site.
• NSF Dietary Supplement Fact Kit, a free resource that helps consumers make educated decisions when choosing dietary supplements. The fact kit helps answer many of the common questions that consumers have regarding nutritional products.
• Supplement Safety Now: www.SupplementSafetyNow.com
ABOUT NSF INTERNATIONAL: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect consumers by certifying products and writing standards for food, water, dietary supplements and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide and operates in more than 120 countries. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment.
NSF’s Dietary Supplement Certification program verifies that what is on the label is in the bottle and that the product does not contain undeclared ingredients or contaminants. NSF’s Athletic Banned Substances Certification program builds on this dietary supplement certification program by including screening that ensures the product does not contain banned or prohibited substances. MLB, the MLB Player’s Association, NFL, the NFL Player’s Association, PGA, LPGA and the CCES have all chosen NSF’s Certified for Sport™ program to help verify the products their athletes use are safer and free of banned substances.
