Rebecca Wright03.27.06
NSF International, Ann Arbor, MI, has launched a new athletic banned substances certification program for dietary supplements and sports nutrition products. The new program has been recommended by key athletic organizations, including Major League Baseball and the Major League Players Association. The new supplement program is designed to create a level playing field for all those professional, amateur and youth athletes who are dedicated to fair play in sports, according to Kathy Jordan, MS, RD, general manager, NSF Dietary Supplement Certification Program. “The athletic community has expressed concerns that many supplements may contain undeclared ingredients that could lead to positive testing for banned substances. Our certification program directly addresses these concerns and provides a solution,” Ms. Jordan said. The entire sports community—from professional, amateur and recreational athletes, to coaches, trainers and parents—will be able to look for a specially designed NSF “Certified for Sport” mark on sports supplement labels. Products bearing this mark will indicate that a supplement manufacturer has undergone stringent evaluation criteria, including product testing for banned substances and label content confirmation, formulation and label review, production facility inspections and ongoing monitoring. Once a product is certified, it will be listed on the NSF International website (www.nsf.org).