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ConsumerLab.com expands testing of health products; success of dietary supplement evaluations leads company into broader nutrition field, beginning with popular nutrition bars
WHITE PLAINS, NY — March 27, 2001 — Having established its presence as the leading independent evaluator of the quality of dietary supplements sold in the U.S, ConsumerLab.com announced today the expansion of its work to include foods and food ingredients. Its first Product Review in this area will focus on nutrition bars, also known as meal-replacement bars, energy bars, and protein bars. Nutrition bars, originally intended for athletes, have become ubiquitous in health food, grocery, and even convenience stores and now account for more than $500 million in annual sales in the U.S. It has been reported that some of these products, however, may not accurately declare their nutritional content.
ConsumerLab.com's testing of dietary supplements, begun in 1999, now represents the largest published independent assessment of such products. The company's results are widely cited in the media as well as in professional publications and lectures. Reviews released to-date include the most popular categories of vitamin, mineral, herbal and other supplements including calcium, chondroitin, CoQ10, creatine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, glucosamine, multivitamins/mulitiminerals, SAM-e, saw palmetto, and vitamins A and C. ConsumerLab.com's lists of Approved Quality Products have become a standard reference for consumers, practitioners, researchers, and retailers. Additional reviews due out soon include St. John's wort, Echinacea, phytoestrogens, valerian, and MSM.
"ConsumerLab.com's phenomenal success is due largely to the fact that it is filling an enormous and long-standing need among consumers and healthcare professionals to identify better quality brands," said Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "As we expand our scope, our mission will remain the same: To help people understand the standards by which these products may be judged and tell them which products meet these standards," he added. Among the hundreds of supplements tested to date, nearly one quarter have not passed ConsumerLab.com's evaluation.
ConsumerLab.com's testing of nutritional products will analyze levels and types of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as well as caloric values and amounts of other important ingredients such as caffeine and sodium. Early next year, the program will expand to include testing of "real" or "all natural" food products for potential adulteration and the authenticity of their ingredients.
ConsumerLab.com's business is comprised primarily of testing and publishing. Its lists of Approved Quality Products and ConsumerTips™ for buying and using products are available to subscribers to its popular Web site, www.consumerlab.com, where general findings are also made available for free. The company also publishes comprehensive Technical Reports based on its Product Reviews. ConsumerLab.com's Buyer's Guide to Supplements will be published in print later this year. Its testing programs are open to all manufacturers and distributors of relevant products, however ConsumerLab.com must purchase products on the open market — samples are not accepted from manufacturers. Products that pass testing are then eligible to license to CL's Seal of Approved Quality. ConsumerLab.com also maintains a separate testing program for suppliers of raw materials.
To further assist consumers, ConsumerLab.com licenses its flask-shaped CL Seal of Approved Quality (see The CL Seal) to manufacturers for use on products that have passed its evaluations. ConsumerLab.com will periodically re-evaluate these products to ensure their continued compliance with its standards.
ConsumerLab.com is privately held and headquartered in White Plains, New York. It is not affiliated with companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscriptions to ConsumerLab.com's online content can be established at www.consumerlab.com/subscribe.asp. Parties interested in Technical Reports or testing or licensing programs may contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com. More information about Consumerlab.com is available at www.consumerlab.com.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2001. All rights reserved.
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ConsumerLab.com's testing of dietary supplements, begun in 1999, now represents the largest published independent assessment of such products. The company's results are widely cited in the media as well as in professional publications and lectures. Reviews released to-date include the most popular categories of vitamin, mineral, herbal and other supplements including calcium, chondroitin, CoQ10, creatine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, glucosamine, multivitamins/mulitiminerals, SAM-e, saw palmetto, and vitamins A and C. ConsumerLab.com's lists of Approved Quality Products have become a standard reference for consumers, practitioners, researchers, and retailers. Additional reviews due out soon include St. John's wort, Echinacea, phytoestrogens, valerian, and MSM.
"ConsumerLab.com's phenomenal success is due largely to the fact that it is filling an enormous and long-standing need among consumers and healthcare professionals to identify better quality brands," said Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "As we expand our scope, our mission will remain the same: To help people understand the standards by which these products may be judged and tell them which products meet these standards," he added. Among the hundreds of supplements tested to date, nearly one quarter have not passed ConsumerLab.com's evaluation.
ConsumerLab.com's testing of nutritional products will analyze levels and types of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as well as caloric values and amounts of other important ingredients such as caffeine and sodium. Early next year, the program will expand to include testing of "real" or "all natural" food products for potential adulteration and the authenticity of their ingredients.
ConsumerLab.com's business is comprised primarily of testing and publishing. Its lists of Approved Quality Products and ConsumerTips™ for buying and using products are available to subscribers to its popular Web site, www.consumerlab.com, where general findings are also made available for free. The company also publishes comprehensive Technical Reports based on its Product Reviews. ConsumerLab.com's Buyer's Guide to Supplements will be published in print later this year. Its testing programs are open to all manufacturers and distributors of relevant products, however ConsumerLab.com must purchase products on the open market — samples are not accepted from manufacturers. Products that pass testing are then eligible to license to CL's Seal of Approved Quality. ConsumerLab.com also maintains a separate testing program for suppliers of raw materials.
To further assist consumers, ConsumerLab.com licenses its flask-shaped CL Seal of Approved Quality (see The CL Seal) to manufacturers for use on products that have passed its evaluations. ConsumerLab.com will periodically re-evaluate these products to ensure their continued compliance with its standards.
ConsumerLab.com is privately held and headquartered in White Plains, New York. It is not affiliated with companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscriptions to ConsumerLab.com's online content can be established at www.consumerlab.com/subscribe.asp. Parties interested in Technical Reports or testing or licensing programs may contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com. More information about Consumerlab.com is available at www.consumerlab.com.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2001. All rights reserved.
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Members of the media contact may contact media@consumerlab.com or call the ConsumerLab.com main number (914-722-9149). Please include the name of your news organization when contacting us.
