Dietary Supplements and Functional Foods FAQs

Dietary supplements include products such as vitamins, herbs, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and botanicals. They are often available online, in-store and over the counter. Dietary supplements can be consumed in a variety of forms, such as capsules, gummies, teas, powders and tablets.

A functional food is a food or beverage product, such as protein bars, hydration beverages and energy drinks, that contains ingredients that can support your health, such as vitamins.

Yes, dietary supplements and functional foods are regulated. Regulation varies by country; NSF has dietary supplement experts worldwide to help businesses comply with local and global regulations.

For example, functional foods and beverages sold in the US must display a nutritional facts panel. Outside the US, these products, which include food and nutritional supplements, are generally regulated as foods and are labeled as required in their regulatory jurisdictions.

The fastest and easiest way to check the safety of supplements and functional foods is to look for an NSF mark on the label. In addition to scanning for the mark on the label, consumers can use NSF’s online directory to look up certified products and use the NSF Sport app to scan for products that have earned NSF Certified for Sport®.

In general, it is considered safe to buy dietary supplements and functional foods online, but be aware of bad actors who try to take advantage of consumers looking for health products. The surest way to check the safety of the supplements and functional foods you order online is to look for products that have been certified by NSF.

One way to check if a private label or generic supplement is safe is to see if the supplement has undergone third-party testing. Look for the NSF Contents Certified, Contents & Claims Certified or Certified for Sport® mark.

NSF offers several main certifications for dietary supplements and functional foods:

• NSF/ANSI 455: Called a “Good Manufacturing Process” certification, or GMP certification, NSF/ANSI 455 demonstrates that quality systems and processes are in place in the manufacturing of dietary supplements to make consistent and safer products and includes annual inspections/audits to ensure ongoing compliance. Products with this certification may display the NSF GMP mark.
• NSF/ANSI 173: NSF/ANSI 173 is a product certification often called the gold standard of the dietary supplement certification world. Earning this certification means the product has been submitted for technical review, product testing and contaminant testing. Products must be GMP certified to be eligible for NSF/ANSI 173 certification. Products with this certification may display the NSF Contents Certified mark.
• NSF 229: NSF 229 certification uses the same rigorous process as NSF/ANSI 173 to ensure a safer functional food product reaches the consumer. This certification assesses the facts panel on the food or beverage product to determine if it accurately describes the fortified nutrient content, such as a vitamin, mineral or botanical extract. Products with this certification may display the NSF Contents Certified mark.
• NSF 306: Typically referred to as NSF Certified for Sport®, NSF 306 is a specialty certification that screens for 290+ banned substances to decrease the risk of positive doping tests. This certification is especially important for amateur and professional athletes, as well as members of the armed forces, law enforcement or any job where an individual is routinely drug tested. Products must be certified to NSF/ANSI 173 to be eligible for NSF 306. Products with this certification may display the NSF Certified for Sport mark.

Additionally, NSF provides certification to ISO 15001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems for creating a workplace culture of health and safety and certification to Dietary Supplement Management Systems to assist dietary supplement companies in mitigating risk.

NSF evaluates the composition of both the supplement or functional food and its ingredients. Our assessment includes testing vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, sports supplements, concentrates, metabolites, constituents and extracts to verify the supplement facts panel reflects the product’s contents or that the certificate of analysis for the ingredient accurately depicts its identity and purity specifications.

We check for the presence of contaminants that impact health, including the toxic elements lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and chromium. We test for the presence of aerobic microorganisms, yeasts and molds, and Enterobacteriaceae, and specifically for potential pathogens Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. NSF also tests for mycotoxins, which are released by fungi and are hepatotoxic, and for the presence of pesticides.

Testing involves scientifically valid methods to verify the identity, purity, quality, strength and composition of ingredients and finished products.

Certification, on the other hand, is a mark of approval that indicates a product meets established standards and is free from unsafe levels of contaminants and adulterants. NSF’s certification programs provide a seal of approval that supplement manufacturers and brands can use to communicate to public health officials and customers that their products meet established standards.

Amazon’s dietary supplement policy requires dietary supplements sold on the platform be tested and, importantly, the policy features key elements of NSF/ANSI 173. Amazon is adding new categories of dietary supplements to the policy all the time. The surest way to know supplements purchased online are safe is to look for products that have been certified by NSF.