What is a quality multivitamin supplement?
~ by Karen Lily, BSc Computing and Information Systems (March 2018 – updated June 2019, February 2020 and August 2022)
Quality in multi-vitamins is an important, and diverse subject. I will do my best to explain this issue simply to help people find the best multivitamin brands. So how do we know if we are buying a quality vitamin?
First we need to define what a quality supplement is. Quality is:
- Safety
- label accuracy
- lack of contaminants, e.g. lead, cadmium, pesticides, GMOs
- does not exceed upper intake levels
- Optimum levels of nutrients for the individual
- Correct variety of nutrients for the individual
- Ability of nutrients to disintegrate and to be absorbed
- Safety of non-active ingredients
- Assurance that the nutrients have remained stable during storage, packing and shipping processes
All of the above, except for numbers 2 and 3, can, or are, being monitored by governments to some degree and by private laboratories for some brands. Some people already have a good idea of the optimum level and variety of nutrients they need for their age and health conditions. Otherwise these can be determined by a health professional.
If you have a good idea of the nutrients you want, Vitamin Inspector is a great tool to help you to work out which bottle suits you best.
How is supplement quality monitored?
Governments
They carry out:
- safety recalls
- random inspections of plant and procedures
- some product testing
- risk assessment
Private laboratories
Supplements can receive certifications from private labs. These can include verification of:
- label accuracy
- absence of contaminants
- uniformity between bottles and between batches
- safety and suitability of levels and variety of nutrients for average people
- inspection of plant and procedures
Both the FDA and the TGA set guidelines for Current Good Manufacturing Processes (cGMP) which are formulated to assure end to end quality in manufacturing, testing, record keeping and for dealing with complaints. They have legal authority to deal with manufacturers that violate standards or provide unsafe products.
Summary of government regulation
Summary of government regulation of complementary medicine (including multi-vitamins) – USA and Australia
(Tip: scroll horizontally to view full table.)
Procedure | FDA (USA) | TGA (Australia) |
---|---|---|
Conducts inspections of supplement manufacturing plant | Not routinely but according to risk assessment | Not routinely but according to risk assessment |
Approves new supplements before they go to market | No | Yes. The TGA does a risk assessment on complementary medicines. It keeps a register of those that it allows to be supplied in Australia. This indicates that the TGA thinks they pose a low risk of adverse effects when used in accordance with directions. |
Conducts inspections of supplement manufacturing plant | Not routinely but according to risk assessment | Not routinely but according to risk assessment |
Tests products | Not routinely but according to risk assessment, e.g. after complaints and randomly | Not routinely but according to risk assessment, e.g. after complaints and randomly |
Requires approval of new dietary ingredients | Yes | Yes |
Provides a database of recalled products | Yes | Yes |
Recalls | Current FDA recalls FDA recalls archive | TGA recalls |
Independent private laboratories
Private laboratories conduct testing on vitamin supplements or manufacturers.
While the supplement industry is regulated:
- multi-vitamins are not tested by the government routinely
- plants and procedures are not routinely inspected for compliance with current Good Manufacturing Processes (cGMP).
This makes it difficult for the consumer to ascertain the quality of multi-vitamins and has given rise to private organisations and laboratories that test multi-vitamins and inspect production facilities. Some work in conjunction with governments, sharing knowledge and expertise. The following organisations conduct testing on multi-vitamins or auditing of manufacturing processes and facilities for cGMP.
(Tip: scroll horizontally to see full table or view in landscape.)
Organisation | Product mark(s) | Test type | Testing frequency |
---|---|---|---|
ConsumerLab | ![]() | Product testing | Every 2 or 3 years they select a number of supplements in a category for comparison and testing. Also, on application by manufacturer with payment of a fee. |
Labdoor | Product testing | They test multi-vitamins that are popular in the USA and rank them according to a wide variety of factors. Also, on application by manufacturer with payment of a fee. | |
iTested | ![]() | Product testing | Independent labs working for the supplement website, iHerb, perform tests confirming the accuracy of the labelled ingredients and for contaminants and heavy metals every 6 months. |
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) | ![]() | Product testing and cGMP certification | On application by manufacturer with payment of a fee, then randomly and after complaints. |
NPA – Natural Products Association | ![]() | Product testing | On application by manufacturer with payment of a fee, then randomly and after complaints. |
As above | ![]() | cGMP certification1 | As above |
Oregon Tilth (OTCO) Organic certification | ![]() | Independent organic certification | On application and then annually |
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) | ![]() | cGMP certification1 | On application by manufacturer with payment of a fee, and then yearly. |
USDA Organic certification | ![]() | Independent organic certification | On application and then annually |
USP – United States Pharmacopeia | ![]() | Product testing | On application by manufacturer with payment of a fee, and then yearly. |
As above | ![]() | cGMP certification1 | As above |
Which brands are quality certified?
Footnotes
- cGMP certification stands for Current Good Manufacturing Process certification. Often abbreviated to GMP.