Laboratory test results of 60 multivitamins from ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, have shown the contents of the bottle don’t always match the claims on the label. “Consumers should know that multivitamins vary widely in quality,” said Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good multivitamin.”
 
ConsumerLab.com’s latest report on multivitamins sold in the U.S. and Canada (including three products for pets) found eight multivitamins contained less of an ingredient than claimed, two contained more than claimed, one multivitamin intended for pets was contaminated with lead, tablets of another multivitamin failed to properly disintegrate, and three supplements listed ingredients in ways that did not comply with FDA requirements. Dr. Cooperman also noted that many products contained levels of vitamins or minerals that exceed daily tolerable upper intake levels, potentially increasing the risk of side effects.
 
Surprisingly, there was almost no connection between price and quality. Many inexpensive multivitamins (ranging in price from 3 to 14 cents per day) passed every test. At the same time, several relatively expensive products—some costing more than 50 cents or even more than $1 a day—failed the review.
 
Multivitamins are the most popular supplements in the U.S., accounting for sales of $4.8 billion in 2009, according to Nutrition Business Journal, Boulder, CO. ConsumerLab.com tested multivitamins for key nutrients, lead contamination and proper labeling. Tablets were also checked to make sure they would break apart properly when consumed.
 
Among pet supplements tested, one product that costs 8 cents per day was approved. Two pet supplements failed. One was contaminated with 7.45 mcg of lead per tablet. This product has been tested by ConsumerLab.com in two previous reviews and the amount of lead has increased over the years. The other pet product contained 32% less vitamin A than the label claimed. 
 
Dr. Cooperman said consumers should take stock of their personal nutritional needs before considering a multivitamin. Using the report as a guide, they can find real value without any hidden surprises. “You can easily save $100 a year and possibly avoid problems,” he said. In addition to the new multivitamin report, ConsumerLab.com provides a free listing of the latest recommendations for vitamin and mineral intake.
 
John Gay, executive director and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA), Washington, D.C., responded to the review. “ConsumerLab.com is a company whose business model has long raised questions about its results. The bottom line is that the supplement industry has a strong record of quality, one that is bolstered by extensive regulatory and self-regulatory efforts.”
 
With implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for companies of all sizes, manufacturing operations and quality measures are required to ensure that what is listed on the label is what is in the product, he added. 
 
“Is it any wonder that half of all Americans trust dietary supplements and use them as part of a healthy lifestyle? While consumers should check with their doctor before taking any supplements, they should rest assured that dietary supplements are both safe and fully regulated as a unique category of food under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.”
 
In a separate test of 11 red yeast rice supplements, ConsumerLab.com found significant differences in levels of cholesterol-lowering statin compounds. Statin levels fell dramatically among brands previously tested in 2008 and a potentially toxic contaminant, citrinin, was found in four of the products. Red yeast rice naturally contains the cholesterol-lowering statin compound lovastatin, the active ingredient in prescription Mevacor. Labels on red yeast rice products, however, generally do not disclose lovastatin content due to concern that the supplement will be considered an unapproved drug by FDA and removed from the market. This makes it difficult for consumers and doctors to assess and compare red yeast rice supplements, although they remain widely used and can be effective.
 
In addition to lovastatin, red yeast rice contains a variety of related compounds, which may act synergistically to lower LDL cholesterol. Side effects may also be diminished compared to pharmaceutical statins. Among 11 products in the report, amounts of lovastatin compounds ranged from 0 mg to 3.5 mg per 600 mg of red yeast rice. The average amount was 1.48 mg per 600 mg. Products shown to work clinically have contained 1.63 mg to 5.7 mg of lovastatin compounds per 600 mg of red yeast rice. Based on the suggested serving sizes of the recently tested products, ConsumerLab.com found that only four would deliver a daily dose of lovastatins in the range used in clinical studies.
 
Several products tested were among those previously reviewed by ConsumerLab.com in 2008 (and subsequently published in a peer-reviewed article in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2010). ConsumerLab.com discovered the amounts of lovastatin compounds in these products to be 29% to 88% lower than in the same ones purchased in 2008, although the labeled amount of red yeast rice (600 mg) remained the same. The declines suggest that different and chemically weaker red yeast rice raw materials are now being used.