This FAQ answers common questions about becoming a certified manufacturer, including eligibility requirements, manufacturing certification standards, and how third-party supplement manufacturers are assessed through the Informed Manufacturer programme.
- What is Informed Manufacturer?
Informed Manufacturer is a global quality assurance programme that certifies facilities as a certified manufacturer within the sports nutrition supply chain. This manufacturing certification helps sports nutrition brands identify trusted, compliant manufacturing partners.
Reputable manufacturers and suppliers of sports nutrition products and ingredients are able to certify their site(s) within the Informed Manufacturer programme so sports nutrition brands can easily identify them as having quality systems in place to limit the likelihood of inadvertent contamination. This ensures the integrity of the manufacturing process specifically for the sports nutrition manufacturing practices.
Sites carrying the Informed Manufacturer logo are tested regularly for banned substances using validated analytical methods. Facilities are screened for banned substances to part-per-billion levels of accuracy, using a robust swabbing and testing process. In addition, manufacturing sites must meet strict quality control standards.
- What is the process to become certified by Informed Manufacturer?
To become a certified manufacturer, facilities must complete a structured manufacturing certification process consisting of four stages:
- Site audit
- Pre-certification onsite visit and swab sample testing
- Certification completion, logo use and webpage listing
- Recertification
For an in-depth description of all four stages, please visit our certification process page.
- What is the relationship between INFORMED and LGC?
INFORMED is a family of five different certification programmes made available to the supplement industry by LGC. Through this relationship, LGC supports INFORMED programmes with independent laboratory expertise used to assess each certified supplement manufacturer. This is just one way LGC leverages scientific expertise to help solve some of the most complex challenges facing society and the planet.
- How long has LGC been testing for prohibited substances in sport?
LGC has been testing supplement products for prohibited substances since 2002 and has tested tens of thousands of product/ingredient samples during that time. LGC currently tests over 25,000 samples per year for more than 400 brands from countries around the world. This experience underpins the credibility of LGC as a trusted third-party supplement manufacturer testing partner.
- What substances do Informed Manufacturer screen for?
As part of its manufacturing certification, Informed Manufacturer screens for a wide range of substances prohibited in sport. LGC's testing capability for supplements includes the analysis of over 285 substances that are prohibited in sport and substances that pose a threat in respect to product contamination. These substances include:
- Drugs of abuse
- Anabolic agents
- Stimulants
- Beta-2-agnostics
- Masking agents
- Diuretics
- New and emerging threats such as SARM's, vaptans, and PPAR's, etc.
- Is LGC a WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratory?
LGC has more than 60 years of experience as a regulatory doping control laboratory, testing both animal and human biological samples for the presence of substances prohibited in sport. Between 2004 and 2007, LGC (formerly HFL Sport Science) was accredited by WADA/IOC for testing athlete samples. However, in 2007 and following rising concerns from athletes regarding supplement contamination, LGC voluntarily withdrew this certification to focus efforts on the testing of supplement products for banned substances. This distinction is important for manufacturers evaluating third-party certification programmes.
WADA accredited laboratories cannot commercially test supplement products for endorsement purposes - the following extract is taken from the WADA website:
WADA is not involved in any certification process regarding supplements and therefore does not certify or endorse manufacturers or their products. WADA does not control the quality or the claims of the supplements industry which may, from time to time, claim that their products have been approved or certified by WADA.
Our extensive experience as a sports anti-doping laboratory provides us with a unique understanding of the sports regulatory environment from a laboratory perspective.
At LGC, stringent quality control measures are adopted for each and every sample, to validate both analysis and extraction procedures. This provides brands and consumers alike with the assurance that test results are both robust and reliable. The analysis of such control samples also allows LGC to identify problematic and challenging sample matrices, where additional investigative work may be required - a growing requirement within the evolving supplement market. Where a laboratory does not have such exacting quality standards, such problems may be overlooked, resulting in the false reporting of an unsubstantiated result.
- Are the swabs tested for everything on the WADA Prohibited List?
This is a common question for manufacturers considering manufacturing certification. Unfortunately, no laboratory can test for all substances which would be considered prohibited in sport. This is also highlighted by the fact that even the WADA prohibited list is open-ended; using the wording "other substances with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s) in specific sections of the list. There is no specific list defining all prohibited substances.
In addition, the WADA prohibited list is specifically focused on the analysis of human biological samples (e.g. urine, blood, etc.). As such, WADA laboratories will also be testing samples for a wide range of metabolites (i.e. the metabolic breakdown products of drugs). With respect to the analysis of supplement products, the analysis will typically focus on the presence of the parent drug.'
Although it is not possible to test for all substances on the WADA prohibited list, through its experience in testing over 225,000 samples and its close relationship with the anti-doping community, LGC has been able to develop an extensive screening programme to manage product integrity; addressing both historic and emerging threats within the supplements industry.
- How often is a facility assessed to maintain Informed Manufacturer certification?
Annual reassessment ensures every certified manufacturer continues to meet programme standards. This involves a desk-based audit as well as the collection of swab samples.
For more information on certification, please visit the Informed Manufacturer Certification Process page.
- Does Informed Manufacturer Certification carry to finished products?
Informed Manufacturer testing and certification applies only to facilities. It does not imply banned substance testing has been carried out on any finished product made in a certified facility and the logo may not be used by any third-party of the finished product. The Informed Manufacturer name can not be used to imply the quality of a finished product. This distinction is important for brands working with a certified supplement manufacturer but seeking finished-product certification. Companies interested in having finished-product certification can learn more about our Informed Sport and Informed Choice programmes.
- Does certification cover all my facility locations?
Informed Manufacturer certification is location specific, and multiple sites must be assessed and certified individually.
- How will companies see my certification?
All sites certified by Informed Manufacturer are listed on our certified manufacturers page. Along with the website listing, a link to the certified manufacturer's website is listed as well as information provided by each site. Certified manufacturers are also provided with a certification mark as well as brand standards guide outlining how sites can maximize the value of their certification. Public listing helps brands quickly identify and partner with a certified manufacturer they can trust.