Whatsinit asked:


The tests, by new industry consumer guardian Whatsinit.com, aim to establish the levels of active ingredients within a variety of supplements available to the public on the High Street and across the internet. Whatsinit.com tested 27 different Omega 3 and cod liver oil products and 15 of them – over half – failed to meet Trading Standards guidelines.

Tested by whatsinit.com, results show that:

• Boots Brain and Heart Health Omega 3 supplements contain just 84% DHA and 87% EPA, of the active ingredients claimed on the label.

• Seven Seas Pure Cod Liver Oil contained just 87% of active ingredient, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), claimed on the label.

• Tesco’s High Strength Cod Liver Oil had one of the lowest product contents with just 79% of active ingredient, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), claimed on the bottle.

In contrast, a number of products contained exemplary or higher levels of active ingredient than stated on the label including Numark Omega 3, Healthspan Concentrated Omega 3 and Asda Omega 3.

Fish oil supplements are taken for a number of reasons, including helping brain development, joint flexibility and to help maintain a healthy heart. It is one of the most popular nutritional supplements in the UK.

This testing follows the whatsinit.com tests on Glucosamine and Chondroitin joint supplements in August 2008. Out of 52 products tested, 41 failed including two which did not contain any Chondroitin at all.

The shocking results follow months of stringent testing, retesting, analysis by independent laboratories and then review by a panel of experts. The results are all tested using independent third party laboratories and industry standard analytical methodologies – ISO 5509/ 5508, American Oil Chemist Society (ACOS). The supplements are all tested blind with only the team at whatsinit.com knowing which bottles contain which product.

Products are sent to independent laboratories where they are tested using internationally agreed scientific methods and the results collated. Any products that did not pass this first round of tests are then re-examined using different scientific methods if appropriate.

Trading Standards guidelines allow a product variation of plus or minus five percent and so the supplements only fail the tests if they contain less than 95% of the active ingredient claimed on the label.

Surprisingly, the multi-million pound nutritional supplements industry is unregulated. Many manufacturers do not knowingly deceive their customers but the fact remains that UK consumers are spending £330 million a year on supplements, many of which will not benefit their health as they trust and expect.

A spokesperson for whatsinit.com, said: “It is well known within the industry that there is no strict regulation. We have had fantastic initial feedback that this site is a welcome addition to the industry and consumers.

“We are not aiming to damage any reputations through this site but are here to provide an essential service for consumers who have no idea what their expensive supplements contain. We are providing manufacturers with every chance to improve their products and the consistency of the supplements and ensure that the next time they are tested they meet the label claim.”

Whatsinit.com aims to act as an essential reference point for everyone who purchases all types of supplement. The site will advise which products represent the best value for money and also where the products can be purchased in the user’s local area. Whatsinit.com uses a team of experts in an advisory panel and offers its assistance to manufacturers whose products fail the tests. Each product will be retested every four months to ensure that manufacturers who fail are allowed a chance to improve the product quality, and that those who originally passed will continue to maintain the same high standards.

Unlike pharmaceuticals, the nutritional supplement business is not strictly regulated which means that many products are not always what they appear. In the main this is due to the fact that many of the active ingredients in these supplements are extremely expensive and there is always therefore, a temptation for the manufacturers and the suppliers of the raw materials to water down or “adulterate”, as it is known, the key ingredients. In turn many supplement manufacturers, in an attempt to reduce their costs, turn a blind eye to the problem, while others simply don’t have the correct checks in place. With more than 24,000 dietary supplements available in the UK, choosing the right one can therefore be an impossible task unless you have the facts.

To find out more about this story visit: http://www.whatsinit.com