There have been many reports in the news about private label vitamins and supplements over the past few years. Namely, some of the brands that have been sold at popular department, drug, and discount stores. When these products were audited for quality, it was discovered that many of the items did not measure up to the ingredients listed on the labels. A few of the products in question included:

• Gingko biloba 
• St. John’s Wort 
• Garlic
• Ginseng 
• Echinacea 
• Saw palmetto 

Some supplements contained very little of the featured ingredient, while other supplements didn’t contain the ingredient at all.

For this reason, it is an increasingly important time for private label distributors to provide clientele with high-quality products that contain the actual ingredients in the appropriate quantities as listed. Consumers who have faced these trust violations in the past are more diligent than ever in examining the products that are purchased today. Many consumers look for products that carry a seal of approval, showing that they have been audited for quality.

Most vitamin and supplement companies are regularly audited for product purity as well as quality. The NSF is one such accredited auditing company that performs independent third-party certifications to be sure that a product meets public health and safety standards. NSF performs retests and spot-checks checks yearly on samples provided by the company, as well as those available for purchase. Other companies that perform audits include U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), and Underwriters laboratory (UL).

When making the purchase of a private label vitamin or supplement, looking at the history of a company’s past audits can help restore confidence in the brand and the product that is being distributed. Vitakem is one company that has had normal audits for the last 6 years without the need for any corrections. This shows the high standards which the company holds itself to, being sure to create a reliable foundation for both clients and consumers alike. 

Vitakem is NSF certified and is in compliance with NSF/ANSI standards on dietary supplements. Vitakem is also one of the few vitamin manufacturers to be specially trained by the Natural Products Association to create proper dietary supplement labeling. Creating consistent, reliable labels on consumable products is essential in meeting the standards of not only those who consume the products, but those who audit the products as well. With 6 years of consistent audits, Vitakem is showing to be one of the companies that can restore trust in the field of vitamin and supplements manufacturing.