No-cost listings available from NSF International

ANN ARBOR, MI -  NSF International announced today that new product listings are available at no cost to consumers who are shopping for a vitamin, mineral, herb, botanical, nutrition bar or other dietary supplement product.

With more than 30,000 dietary supplements already on the market and at least another 1,000 being added each year, making an educated decision about which supplement to purchase can be difficult. To address these concerns, NSF International developed the first independent national standard in the United States – NSF/ANSI Standard 173 – to help determine if what’s on the label matches what’s in the bottle. If the product bears the NSF logo on its label, it means NSF has tested and verified ingredients, product and manufacturing processes.  Consumers can access free listings of certified products at www.nsf.org/certified/dietary.

NSF has also made a free resource kit available to help answer many common questions faced by consumers who want to purchase a supplement:

What should I look for on a dietary supplement label?
What kinds of claims can manufacturers really make?
 How does certification protect consumers?
What special considerations exist for student and professional athletes who take supplements?

To access this kit online, consumers can visit the NSF International Website at http://www.nsf.org/consumer/newsroom/kit_dietary.asp. The NSF website also contains several audio public service announcements online. Consumers with additional questions can email the NSF Consumer Affairs Office at info@nsf.org.

"As an independent, not-for-profit organization, one of NSF International’s primary goals is to educate consumers. Our free product listings, combined with our public service announcements and free information kit, give consumers practical information that they can use to make informed decisions when purchasing a product that meets their health needs," said Kathleen Jordan, MS, RD, general manager of the NSF Dietary Supplement and Functional Foods Program.

In addition to dietary supplements, NSF offers information on many other public health and safety issues, including food and drinking water safety, the importance of getting children to wash their hands (http://www.scrubclub.org) and other issues that impact the entire family’s health and safety.

About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water, air and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd., organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.