32% of Multivitamins Fail Testing in ConsumerLab Tests

White Plains, NY, March 25, 2026 — Multivitamin and multimineral supplements are among the most widely used dietary supplements, but new testing by ConsumerLab.com shows that not all products deliver what they promise.

In its latest Review of popular multivitamins, ConsumerLab found that nearly one-third (32%) failed to meet quality standards, raising concerns about label accuracy, dosing, and overall formulation.

Key Findings:

• High failure rate: 7 out of 22 multivitamins ConsumerLab selected for testing failed testing and were Not Approved. All issues were confirmed through testing in a second independent laboratory.
• Some multivitamins fall short on key ingredients: ConsumerLab tests showed some products contained far less of at least one key nutrient than listed. A popular multivitamin, for example, contained just 11.8% of its claimed vitamin A.
• Others contained much higher doses than listed: Some multivitamins contained up to four times the labeled amounts of nutrients such as folate and zinc. One product contained almost twice its listed amount of vitamin D.
• Caution with high doses: Even among multivitamins that contained what they claimed, several approached or exceeded established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs), particularly for niacin and folate.
• Cost does not indicate quality: The daily cost for a multivitamin ranged from 4 cents to over $2.00, and a higher price did not guarantee better quality.

ConsumerLab’s Top Picks

Among products that passed all tests of quality and were Approved, ConsumerLab selected Top Picks based on quality, appropriate dosing, formulation, and value for the following categories:

General Adult

50+ General

Women

Women 50+

Prenatal

Men

Men 50+

Children

Access the Full Report:

ConsumerLab’s full Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review is now available online to ConsumerLab.com members – currently over 100,000 individual subscribers and thousands more with access through libraries, schools, and medical centers.

The Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review includes test results and comparisons for 22 multivitamin/multimineral supplements selected for testing by ConsumerLab: Adapt Naturals by Chris Kresser Bio-Avail Multi, Bayer Flintstones Complete, Bayer One A Day Men's 50+, Bayer One A Day Women's 50+, Centrum Silver Adults 50+, Centrum Silver Men 50+, Dr. Brad Stanfield Micro Vitamin, Garden of Life Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Women, Kirkland Signature [Costco] Adults 50+ Mature Multi, Kirkland Signature [Costco] Organic Multivitamin, Mary Ruth's Liquid Morning Multivitamin - Raspberry, Metagenics PhytoMulti Multivitamin With Iron, Nature Made Multi 50+ For Her, Nature's Way Alive! Women's 50+, Naturelo One Daily Multivitamin For Women 50+, New Chapter One Daily Every Woman's Multivitamin 55+, NOW ADAM Superior Men's Multi, Pure Encapsulations O.N.E. Multivitamin, Rainbow Light High Potency Women's One Daily Multivitamin, Shaklee Gold Multi+, Smarty Pants Kids Plus Multi & Omegas - Lemon, Orange and Strawberry Banana Flavors with other Natural Flavors, Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day. Six additional products passed the same testing and were Approved through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program: AlphaSperm Men's Prenatal +, DEVA Vegan Multivitamin, GNC Mega Men 50 Plus, GNC Mega Men Sport Multivitamin, USANA Core Minerals, and USANA Vita Antioxidant.

The Review discusses the clinical evidence for multivitamins for improving general health and potential effects of cancer and cardiovascular risks, who may or may not benefit from a multivitamin, and how to choose a quality multivitamin that best suits individual needs.

A video explaining ConsumerLab’s findings and offering expert tips for selecting and using multivitamin/multimineral supplements is available for free.

Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. It has tested and reviewed over 7,000 products and has published Product Reviews covering nearly every popular category of dietary supplements and health foods.

Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.

1 Out of 3 Multivitamins Failed ConsumerLab Testing: How to Choose the Best Multivitamin