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Product Review: Zinc Supplements (Lozenges, Pills, and Liquids) |
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HOW PRODUCTS WERE EVALUATED:
How Products were Selected:
Products were selected to represent those commonly available in the U.S. and Canada. 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:
Zinc products were tested for their elemental zinc content, potential contamination with lead, and their ability to disintegrate ("break apart") properly.
Analyses for zinc and lead were made using Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectroscopy (ICP/MS) or Atomic Absorption/Graphite Furnace.
Disintegration of non-chewable, non-capsule, non-enteric coated and non-time-release formulations were analyzed utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) <2040> recommendations entitled "Disintegration and Dissolution of Nutritional Supplements."
Any product that did not pass the testing was sent to another independent laboratory to repeat testing for at least one of the criteria on which it did not pass. 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:
- Have a minimum of 100% of its labeled amount of elemental zinc and a maximum of 150% of this amount.
- Not exceed California Prop 65 levels for lead contamination in a recommended daily serving and, in no event, exceed 2 mcg of lead in a recommended daily serving.
- Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration for vitamin supplements (excluding capsule, enteric coated, chewable and time-release products).
- Product must meet all FDA labeling requirements.
A "Pass" was based on meeting the above criteria in either the first or second rounds of testing.
* 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.
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