NSF vs Informed Sport vs BSCG: What Each Seal Means

The certification programs at a glance

A lot (or batch) is one production run of a product. Its number is printed on the product.

How do NSF, Informed Sport and BSCG compare?

This table is built only from what each program says about itself. The numbers of substances are each program's own count from its own list, so they are not a scoreboard.

A few terms from the table:

• WADA is the World Anti-Doping Agency. Its Prohibited List names the substances it bans in sport.
• GMP means good manufacturing practice, the standards for how a product is made.
• Contaminants are unwanted substances in a product that are not on the label.

Three differences matter most to you as an athlete:

• Which batches. Informed Sport says every batch is tested before it is released. BSCG Certified Drug Free says every production lot is tested. NSF tests production lots and lists the ones it has tested. Informed Choice tests random retail samples and says plainly that it "is not guaranteed that every batch has been tested".
• Which list. Each program screens against its own list. BSCG's list also includes prescription, over the counter and illegal drugs that may not appear on sport governing body lists. A bigger number is not always a better fit for your rules.
• Where you check. Every program publishes its own lookup. The seal on the product is a claim. The lot listed on the certifier's site is the proof.

What is the difference between Informed Choice and Informed Sport?

Both are run by LGC and screen for more than 285 banned substances. They use the same testing steps and the same ISO 17025 accredited methods, meaning the lab meets an international quality standard. The difference is how often a product is tested:

• Informed Sport tests every batch of a product, including every flavor, before it reaches the market. INFORMED says it was developed in 2008 with UK Anti-Doping for elite sport.
• Informed Choice is a program that watches products on sale. LGC buys the product from stores or websites and tests at least twelve lots a year at random.

If you are drug tested, the batch in your hand matters. Informed Sport lets you look that batch up. With Informed Choice, your batch may never have been tested.

Our guide to INFORMED certification covers all of LGC's programs.

Is NSF Certified for Sport different from other NSF marks?

Yes. NSF also runs a general certification program for dietary supplements, built on the NSF/ANSI 173 standard it developed. The sport program adds testing for 290 banned substances on production lots.

Look for "Certified for Sport", not just the NSF name. Our guide to NSF Certified for Sport explains each step.

Is every BSCG seal for athletes?

No. BSCG runs several programs. Certified Quality combines annual testing with GMP compliance, and Certified GMP covers how the product is made.

If you are drug tested, Certified Drug Free is the program to look for: it tests every production lot for more than 450 drugs. Our guide to BSCG certification explains each seal.

What about USP Verified and other quality seals?

They answer a different question. The US Department of Defense's Operation Supplement Safety lists four well vetted programs: BSCG Certified Drug Free, Informed Sport, NSF Certified for Sport and USP Verified. It says three of them test for substances banned in sport, while "the other program does not test for substances banned in sport", only ingredients, amounts and contaminants. Its comparison table names that program: USP Verified.

The same page makes a point that applies to every seal. Third party certification "does not mean the product has been evaluated for safety" or effectiveness. It means the contents match the label.

Which certification does USADA or the NCAA recommend?

USADA, the US Anti-Doping Agency, recommends that athletes who use supplements choose products certified by a third party program that tests for substances banned in sport. It "currently recognizes NSF Certified for Sport" as the program best suited for athletes. It says even a certified product "significantly reduces, but does not necessarily eliminate" the chance of a positive test.

NSF says Certified for Sport is the only independent third party program recognized by USADA, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the Canadian Football League. That is NSF's own statement.

The NCAA names no program. Its banned substances list says there are no NCAA approved supplements, and that supplements may contain banned substances not on the label. It says third party tested products "may be options" while "complete elimination of risk is impossible".

WADA does not certify supplements at all. INFORMED quotes WADA's own position that it "does not certify or endorse manufacturers or their products". A product described as "WADA approved" is making a claim WADA does not make.

So the right program depends on who tests you. If you compete under USADA rules, note its recognition of NSF. If you are an NCAA athlete, any of the three sport programs is evidence, not permission, and your athletics staff should review the product.

How do I check that my product is really certified?

1. Scan it in Varsity Stack first. The app checks the barcode or label against our certification database.
2. Find the lot or batch number on the label or the package.
3. Look it up on the certifier's own site. NSF lets you search by name, keyword or lot number. INFORMED recommends searching the batch number. BSCG says that if a lot is not in its database, "it has not been tested".
4. Match the product, flavor and lot exactly. A brand can certify one product and not another.
5. Show it to your athletics staff before you use it.

Check a supplement's certification with Varsity Stack

The easiest way to check a product is the free Varsity Stack app. Scan it before you buy to see if it is certified, then add it to your stack so you and your staff know what you take.

Download the App

For coaches, sports dietitians and athletic trainers: the team dashboard shows every athlete's stack and whether each product is certified, so staff can review what athletes take.

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Varsity Stack does not laboratory test supplements, and certification lowers risk without removing it.