Multivitamins fall short of claims made on labels, finds LabDoor
Best-selling multivitamins in US miss their label claims by an average of 22%
Analysis by LabDoor of 75 of the top-selling multivitamins in the US has found that an average of 22% of products do not meet the claims made on their labels.
The latest Best Multivitamins Ranking from independent analysis service LabDoor also revealed that gummy/chewable multivitamins contain a 54% lower vitamin content and a 70% lower mineral content than standard multivitamins.
One in three vitamins also contained 10% less vitamin C than the amount claimed, while 16% contained at least 30% less vitamin A than stated on the label.
In addition, four Centrum products were found to contain BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), a preservative that organisations such as the US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recommend avoiding.
Unlike prescription and over the counter drugs, the US Food and Drug Administration does not check vitamins for safety and efficacy before they come to market, relying on the manufacturers to be truthful about their labelling. Since no standard exists, the category essentially operates through self-regulation, leading to widely varying products at retail.
LabDoor reviews the most popular products in the vitamin and dietary supplements categories to provide free analytical and labelling data to help consumers make informed choices.
LabDoor conducts its own lab testing for purity and label accuracy before grading the products on nutrition value, ingredient safety and expected efficacy, and arriving at an overall ranking, ranging from A to F.