12.01.08
A new report from ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, cautions that the amount of vitamin A in supplements may not add up to the amount stated on labels, as only 60% of recently tested supplements contained claimed amounts. Among 10 supplements selected for testing, ConsumerLab.com discovered that one delivered nearly double its claimed amount of vitamin A and three others provided significantly less vitamin A than stated. Tests of one cod liver oil supplement showed it contained 7818 IU of vitamin A as retinyl palmitate, nearly double its claimed amount of 4000 IU per teaspoon. The three supplements low in the ingredient contained only 68% to 78% of their claimed amounts of vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate and/or beta-carotene). Six supplements passed the testing, including tablets and oils, along with six other supplements tested through ConsumerLab.com’s Voluntary Certification Program. The report includes results for 16 products and information about three others similar to those that passed testing.