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Quality & Testing
Supplements are only worth taking if what is on the label is what is in the bottle. Here is how NOW makes sure of that.
The supplement industry has a trust problem
Independent testing has repeatedly found products on shelves worldwide that contain less active ingredient than claimed — or a different plant entirely.
Most brands never manufacture anything themselves. They buy raw material from a broker, have it encapsulated by a contract facility, and put their name on the label. If nobody along that chain tests properly, nobody knows what is really inside.
NOW took the opposite route: it built its own laboratories, and it tests its own products.
What testing actually checks
Four separate questions, asked of every batch before it is allowed out of the building.
Identity
Is this raw material genuinely the ingredient it is sold as? Botanical material in particular is easy to substitute.
Potency
Does it contain the amount of active compound the label states — and will it still, at the end of its shelf life?
Purity
Is it free of heavy metals, pesticide residues, solvents and microbial contamination?
Documentation
Is every step recorded, so any finished bottle can be traced back to the batch it came from?
How a NOW product reaches our shelf
Supplier qualification
Raw material suppliers are vetted and audited before NOW will buy from them at all.
Incoming testing
Every incoming raw material is quarantined and tested for identity and purity. If it fails, it is rejected — not blended away.
GMP manufacturing
Production runs under Good Manufacturing Practice certification, in NOW’s own facilities, with documented procedures at every stage.
Finished product testing
The finished batch is tested again — potency, purity, disintegration — because processing can change a product.
Stability testing
Samples are held and retested over time to confirm the product still meets its label claim at the end of its shelf life.
Shipped and stored properly
Stock reaches us through authorised supply, and we store it correctly — including refrigeration for the probiotics that need it.
What the labels actually mean
NOW carries certifications that are independently audited rather than self-declared, and marks dietary suitability clearly on the front of the bottle.
- GMP certified — manufacturing audited against Good Manufacturing Practice standards
- Non-GMO Project Verified on a large part of the range, verified by a third party
- Vegan and vegetarian products marked on the label, not buried in the small print
- Halal and Kosher certification across selected products
- Allergen statements for gluten, soy, dairy, nuts and shellfish
Questions about a specific product?
Ask us in store or over the phone. If we cannot answer it, we will find out.