| |
Product Review: Iron Supplements |
|
|
 |
How Products were Selected:
Products selected represent those commonly sold and/or available nationally in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers, catalogues, or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.
Testing Method:
Products were tested for their amount of iron, disintegration, and potential contamination with lead. Analyses for iron and lead were first performed using an ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy) method in an independent laboratory. Products not having passing levels of iron or lead were then re-tested for the specific metal using an ICP-MS method in a second independent laboratory. Disintegration of non-chewable and non-time release formulations were analyzed utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) <2040> recommendations.
The identities of the products were not disclosed to the laboratories performing the testing.
Passing Score: *
To achieve a "Pass" in the testing, a product had to:
- Provide all of the following information in its labeling (as required by the FDA):
- The form and amount of iron and all other vitamins, minerals, and other primary ingredients listed;
- If the product contained herbs:
- The proper plant name;
- The part of the plant used (e.g., root/rhizome);
- The form of herb used (e.g., root powder, extract, or tincture);
- The amount of herb per pill or dose in grams (g) or milligrams (mg) [1 gram = 1,000 milligrams]
- Contain 100% of its labeled amount of elemental iron and no more than 125% of this amount.
- Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration of vitamin/mineral supplements (excluding chewable and time-release products).
- Conform to the State of California Proposition 65 limits on lead contamination in the recommended daily serving of a supplement and, in no event, exceed 2 mcg of lead in a daily serving.
A "Pass" was based on passing each criterion in any one of the analyses.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing its testing if it considers such product to present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.
Back to review
|
|
|
|
|
