The quality and purity of our supplements have always been of paramount importance and we are ecstatic to announce that the majority of Gnarly Nutrition supplements are now NSF Certified with our most popular flavors NSF for Sport Certified. You will begin to see NSF certification badges on the front label of each Gnarly product. For those of you that may not be familiar with NSF certification, we wanted to take a minute to educate you on who NSF is and what NSF certification actually means.
Who is NSF?
You may have seen the circular badge containing the letters NSF on your blender or maybe even on your kitchen pots. If you haven’t seen it, I’ll bet you start noticing it now. Founded in 1944, the mission of NSF is to protect and improve global human health. As an independent, accredited organization, NSF tests, audits and certifies products and systems while additionally providing education and risk management. What industries does NSF audit? Everything from the aerospace industry to consumer products to big pharma and biotech. Where might you see the NSF mark? On everything from bottled water and dietary supplements to plumbing components, pool equipment and more.
Why dietary Supplements?
While the FDA does regulate the dietary supplement industry, enforcement of these regulations is difficult as the supplement industry has grown tremendously. Additionally, the fact that dietary supplements are not regulated to the degree of prescription or over-the-counter drugs is concerning for many. Consumers are concerned over what they see as both a lack of enforcement and regulation. And rightly so, a 2018 study in the JAMA Network Open journal determined that 776 supplements contained “unauthorized pharmaceutical ingredients, ” with 97% of these ‘ingredients’ not listed on product labels.
What does NSF certification mean?
The NSF dietary supplement certification program protects consumers by testing for harmful levels of contaminants and certifying that supplements contain the ingredients listed on the label and nothing else. NSF conducts product testing in accredited laboratories to confirm that the actual contents of a supplement product match those printed on the label. NSF also checks to make sure no unlisted ingredients or potentially harmful levels of impurities are present in products that carry NSF certification.
Look for the NSF or NSF for Sport badge on your Sports Nutrition products. Typically the badge is found on the front label giving consumers confidence that the product has passed third party testing for both label claims and contaminants like microbes, heavy metals, and pesticides.
NSF certification is a badge of quality and safety.
In summary, there are three main components of the NSF dietary supplements certification program:
- Label claim testing to verify that the amount of each ingredient listed is actually in the product
- Toxicology review to certify product formulation
- Contaminant review to ensure the product contains no undeclared ingredients or unacceptable levels of contaminants
Additionally, products that are NSF Certified for Sport are further screened for more than 270 substances banned by most major athletic organizations as well as undeclared ingredients including stimulants, narcotics, steroids, diuretics, beta-2-agonists, masking agents and other substances. Products that are NSF Certified for Sport are tested on a lot by lot basis, meaning that if a product carries the NSF Certified for Sport badge, you can be confident that the batch of product you are holding has been tested. The NSF Certified for Sport® program is recognized by the NFL, NFL Players Association, MLB, MLB Players Association, PGA, LPGA and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports.
What does this all mean for you?
You can count on the fact that Gnarly products contain only the ingredients listed on the label and in the quantities specified for each ingredient. Additionally, you can be confident that Gnarly products are third-party tested for contaminants, including microbes, heavy metals, and pesticides.
This empowers you as a consumer to choose quality products that are safe and effective. Additionally, the NSF for Sport certified program gives athletes competing at the highest levels assurance that their sports supplements do not contain banned substances.
While supplement manufacturing and labeling are regulated by the FDA, there is a stigma of mistrust attached to the supplement industry. Our purpose in seeking NSF certification for Gnarly Nutrition products is to start rebuilding consumer trust and validate the effort and resources we’ve invested in creating high-quality and effective products. This is the reason we made the choice to pursue NSF Certification and we are so excited to bring this to our loyal customers.
