ANN ARBOR, Mich. & SANTA MONICA, Calif., Apr 13, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- NSF International today announced that Red Bull(R) Energy Drink is the first company to successfully complete all requirements of the NSF Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program -- NSF Certified for Sport(TM) -- establishing a new benchmark in quality for dietary supplements and nutritional products.

NSF International developed the Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program to meet the growing demands of athletes, coaches and all those concerned about banned substances in sports supplements. Recommended by the Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Player's Association, the new program is designed to minimize the risk that a dietary supplement or sports nutrition product contains banned substances.

To obtain certification, Red Bull Energy Drink and Red Bull Sugar Free were evaluated by NSF to show that what is on the label matches the content of the product, and that there are no banned substances present. Requirements of the program include:
-- Formulation and label review
-- Toxicology review
-- Facility Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) inspection, and
-- Laboratory analysis for label contents and banned substances

For meeting these requirements, Red Bull(R) Energy Drinks will bear the NSF Certified for Sport Mark on their label to show athletes, coaches and consumers that a dietary supplement or sport nutrition product has met NSF's stringent criteria. Ongoing monitoring will ensure continued conformance.

As part of its GMP registration, Red Bull's production facility was inspected to certify that it operates to the highest standards of performance as specified in the NSF/ANSI 173 and the NSF Banned Substances Certification Program guidelines. "Red Bull's continued commitment will help amateur and pro athletes make more informed decision when it comes to choosing dietary supplements and functional foods," said Kathy Jordan, MS, RD, general manager, NSF dietary supplement and functional foods certification program.

The NSF Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program is part of NSF's successful 60-year history of providing certification programs for food, water and consumer goods. Specifically, the NSF Athletic Banned Substances Program builds on NSF's expertise in the areas of dietary supplements and functional foods:

-- NSF developed and maintains the only accredited American National Standard for dietary supplements, NSF/ANSI Standard 173.
-- By building on NSF/ANSI 173, NSF developed a comprehensive product testing program in NSF accredited laboratories and an extensive manufacturing process evaluation to ensure the actual product contents match those printed on the label.
-- NSF's history of independence led to a partnership with the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Players Association to develop and administer the NFL/NFLPA Supplement Certification Program, a first-of-its-kind program designed especially for professional football.

For more information on the banned substances program, please e-mail certifiedforsport@nsf.org or visit http://www.nsf.org/business/athletic_banned_substances.

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.