In early February, NSF International, Ann Arbor, MI, joined the NFL (National Football League) and the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association), Washington, D.C., in establishing the NFL/NFLPA Supplement Certification Program. It was created by the NFL and NFLPA for eligible and participating manufacturers of nutritional supplements to certify the accuracy of product labeling and to certify that the products contain no substances banned under the NFL/NFLPA “Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances.” To be eligible, such companies must not manufacture any products that contain substances banned under the policy. The pre-packaged, food-based products (protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins) covered by this testing program will initially be limited to the following categories: Multivitamin; Pre-Workout; Post-Workout Recovery; Snack Bars and Joint Support Formulas.

NSF will administer the testing of the supplements, including auditing the labs utilized to verify both label accuracy and the absence of NFL/NFLPA banned substances. According to the NFLPA, some supplement ingredients are currently not regarded by the NFL or NFLPA as harmful to players and are, therefore, not banned. As such, some players choose to utilize these non-banned nutritional supplements in training. In recognition of this fact, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to certify a limited number of basic nutritional supplements to provide players who choose to use these particular products with an assurance only that these products are accurately labeled and free of banned substances. Manufacturers that wish to be considered for this certification program must apply to the NFL and NFLPA, providing detailed information, including, for example, financial history and stability, product mix, marketing, insurance coverage and litigation/regulatory agency history. Companies that apply and meet the NFL/NFLPA criteria may participate in the certification program. NSF will conduct a Good Manufacturing Practices audit of all such companies’ manufacturing and distribution facilities and will regularly test product lots for accuracy in labeling. In addition, each product lot will be tested under NSF supervision for banned substances prior to packaging, distribution and sale.