How Products were Selected:
Products were selected to represent those commonly available nationally in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, online retailers, and/or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.
Testing Methods:
- Analysis of all samples for total lycopene content defined as the sum of the cis and trans isomers determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methodology.
- Disintegration time of non-capsule, non-chewable non-sublingual and non-time release formulations using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <2040> recommendations entitled "Disintegration and Dissolution of Nutritional Supplements."
Any product not passing testing was sent to another independent laboratory to repeat testing for the criterion on which it did not pass.
ConsumerLab.com may modify or use other appropriate test methods if necessary to test special product formulations.
Identities of the products were not disclosed to the laboratories performing the testing.
Passing Score:*
To be "Approved" by Consumerlab.com, a product must meet the following requirements:
- Contain a minimum of 100% and no more than 135% of label claim of total cis/trans lycopene or specific lycopene isomers.
- Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration of products (excluding capsule, enteric coated, chewable and time-release products).
* 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 if it considers such product to display unacceptable variation in quality, present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.
