BSCG Newsletter - February 2021
Feb 26, 2021
Banned Substances Control Group
We hope the second month of 2021 finds you and your family and colleagues healthy and well. Did you know February got its name from the Latin word februum, which means purification? BSCG has always been committed to helping to purify the nutrition industry through our certification programs, our initiatives, and our leadership. We couldn’t do it without clients that are committed to the same goals of ensuring the safety and quality of their products.Thank you, and we wish you a clean and clear 28 days.
BSCG NAMED AS AN ACCEPTABLE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BY AMAZON
BSCG is pleased to have been named by Amazon as an acceptable certification provider for sellers of dietary supplements on the platform. According to the new policy, a BSCG certification is “an acceptable alternative to a Certificate of Analysis and Letter of Guarantee,” required under the new policy. That’s good news for BSCG’s clients. We are excited to be recognized by Amazon in the new policy and to be able to offer an added benefit to our valued clients.
As of February, Amazon has introduced stringent new quality control requirements for dietary supplement marketers and distributors.More will kick in starting in May. This may seem onerous to some people in the industry but to makers of high quality reputable supplements this should be a major step forward. Over time the policy will help eliminate illegal products masquerading as supplements from the platform along with low-cost products that are not committed to proper quality control.
Like everyone in the supplement industry, we are working to learn more about Amazon’s new requirements. We are investing resources into the efforts of industry trade groups to help explore the nuances, and we are prepared to put our experience to work to help Amazon and the industry work on refinements to the policy as needed.
Over a decade ago, in a 2010 blog post, BSCG President Oliver Catlin was one of the first to point out the problem of supplement products containing illegal ingredients being sold on Amazon and called on the company to take steps to clean up its marketplace.Over the years he has repeated the message in a series of blogs on The Catlin Perspective. Amazon is an important part of the dietary supplement industry and it is great to see the retail giant now taking proactive steps to address some of the past concerns.
“We’re extremely grateful for Amazon’s new approach and for recognition of our certification services,” said Oliver. “We look forward to doing our part to help ensure the supplement products sold on Amazon meet or exceed quality expectations and that they are safe and free of illegal and banned substances.”
MORE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS LACED WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
In a warning to consumers, the supplement industry, and retailers alike, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has found more dietary supplement products available online that contain hidden drugs.
In some products available on Amazon and EBay, sildenafil, tadalafil, and fluoxetine were discovered in products, some of them highly touted or even recommended. These substances are active ingredients in prescription medications and are not allowed in supplement products. As this Consumer Reports article states, it’s against the law for a supplement product to contain drugs, and the product’s label must accurately list its contents.
These revelations offer further evidence of the need for supplement brands, manufacturers, and ingredient suppliers to do their due diligence to test their products. With BSCG Certified Drug Free program, BSCG applies the world’s premium testing menu, covering not only banned substances on the WADA Prohibited List but also 204 other prescription, over-the-counter and illicit drugs that may adulterate products or be harmful to one’s health. BSCG is the first and only third-party certification program that offers protections in both categories.
BSCG. A TRADITION OF LEADERSHIP, QUALITY AND SUPPORT.
BSCG takes pride in forging new paths in supplement certification and testing and delivering top-notch services.
In 2004, BSCG helped forge a new industry as one of the first companies to offer thirdparty certification for banned substances. In 2014, we became the first, and only, program to expand coverage to include prescription, OTC and illicit drugs and the first to offer a custom testing menu for animal supplements. In 2019, BSCG introduced our one-of-a-kind groundbreaking BSCG Certified CBD program, bringing banned substance protection and robust quality control and compliance to the exciting and burgeoning hemp product industry.We’ve led the way since our inception thanks to people like you.
We have also not shied away from the trickier aspects of testing and have offered industry solutions for substances that haven’t always presented an easy answer. And unlike most of our competitors, we have been consistently transparent about the work we do, the substances we test for, and the frequency of our testing.
But the BSCG tradition goes beyond quality and integrity. We have aimed to keep our prices as low as possible in order to be as affordable to as many brands, manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and distributors as we can. We have arranged our processes to be as simple and efficient as possible, to lessen the burdens of the certification process on already over-worked colleagues. And we are devoted to working with our clients to help them deliver in ways that matter to them. That’s one reason we get shout-outs from clients about our friendly and helpful costumer service. In so many ways—big and small—we are here for you!
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