SuppCo Launches Revolutionary Certification Program to Ensure Active Ingredients in Dietary Supplements
SuppCo, a leading company in the supplement industry, has unveiled a groundbreaking certification program called TESTED by SuppCo, designed to address the long-standing issue of transparency and accountability in dietary supplements. This initiative complements their existing TrustScore system and builds upon previous testing efforts, which revealed alarming discrepancies between supplement labels and actual contents.
The co-founder and CEO of SuppCo, Steve Martocci, expressed his motivation behind the program: "SuppCo was born out of my personal struggle to make informed choices about supplements. I quickly realized that this challenge was not unique to me but rather a systemic failure within the industry. With TESTED by SuppCo, we aim to set a clear, independent standard for transparency and accountability, empowering consumers to trust the products they purchase and allowing responsible brands to demonstrate their commitment to quality."
TESTED by SuppCo is launched in collaboration with renowned brands such as Momentous, Thorne, Metagenics, Gaia Herbs, Designs for Health, Fatty15, Solaray, Niagen, Integrative Therapeutics, and Pendulum. The certification process involves rigorous testing of products available on the market, ensuring that what's on the label aligns with what's inside the bottle.
Jordan Glenn, the head of science at SuppCo, explained the significance of this certification: "TESTED by SuppCo provides an independent assessment of the products you find on store shelves. When combined with our TrustScore system, it creates a comprehensive approach. TrustScore helps users identify potentially trustworthy products, while TESTED by SuppCo verifies whether that trust is justified in the real world."
SuppCo's initial testing focused on creatine, NAD+, urolithin A, and berberine supplements, revealing shocking results. Out of the 44 products tested, 22 contained only 0% to 3% of the active ingredients listed on their labels. This discovery highlighted a widespread issue, especially among brands claiming the highest serving sizes, often concealing weak or absent active ingredients.
In their 2025 testing retrospective, SuppCo emphasized the severity of these findings: "These results are not mere borderline misses; they indicate a breakdown in quality control at every stage, from raw ingredient sourcing to final formulation verification. Whether due to manufacturing shortcuts, supplier variability, lack of internal testing, or intentional deception, the outcome is the same: products making bold claims but delivering little of their promised benefits."
TESTED by SuppCo employs an independent ISO 17025-accredited laboratory to test all products, and those meeting or exceeding 95% of their labeled active ingredient claims receive certification. All test results, whether certified or not, are publicly accessible on SuppCo's product pages, enabling consumers to make well-informed decisions.
Glenn further emphasized the importance of this transparency: "With over 650,000 active users tracking their supplement routines on SuppCo, certification results, including failures, are directly accessible to those making purchase decisions. This visibility complements existing certifications, which, while valuable, were not initially designed with direct consumer engagement in mind."
Annual testing is conducted to ensure ongoing compliance, and non-compliant products undergo remediation before retesting. Brands pay a certification fee to cover the costs of independent testing, program operations, and licensing.
SuppCo is not the first company to address supplement labeling and identity standards, but their approach is unique. They aim to overcome structural issues in the industry, filling a 'meaningful loophole' in existing certifications. Most certifications rely on manufacturer-submitted samples or tests from production lots, which can be manipulated. In contrast, TESTED by SuppCo purchases products anonymously from retail shelves, simulating a consumer's experience.
The supplement industry is at a critical juncture, according to Glenn, with rising consumer expectations, increasing regulatory scrutiny, and independent verification becoming a standard expectation. Brands partnering with TESTED at launch understand the importance of transparency as a competitive advantage in an increasingly noisy market. Jeff Byers, CEO of Momentous, emphasized the industry's need for trust and accountability, stating, 'It's easy for brands to talk about quality, but proving it is much harder. We chose TESTED by SuppCo because trust and accountability are the keys to the industry's future."
SuppCo's mission aligns with organizations like ConsumerLab, NSF International, and the United States Pharmacopeia, but they believe their certification program addresses a fundamental structural issue in testing methodologies. By purchasing products off the shelf, TESTED by SuppCo ensures a more accurate representation of what consumers will receive, closing the loophole where products can pass certification tests using carefully selected lots but fall short in the final product.
The company's industry self-policing program, similar to NOW Foods' efforts, has revealed widespread labeling and potency problems in supplements purchased on Amazon. Since 2017, NOW has conducted 19 rounds of testing on 'no-name brands' purchased on Amazon, monitoring various ingredients. The results were consistently alarming, raising concerns about the reliability of supplement labels and potencies.
