Quality
Beyond banned substances.
Sport certification is one part of quality. Full testing also checks content, purity, safety and freshness.
Identity & potency
Label-claim testing measures each key ingredient and compares it with the label, within an agreed tolerance.
Checks: Protein per serving · Creatine per scoop · Caffeine per serving · EPA + DHA per capsule · Elemental magnesium
Protein authenticity
Basic protein tests measure nitrogen, which can be boosted by adding cheap amino acids (“amino spiking”). An amino-acid profile shows what's really there.
Checks: Full amino-acid profile · Screening for added glycine, taurine or other fillers
Purity & contaminants
Results are compared against legal or programme limits. Contaminants can come from raw materials or processing.
Checks: Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury · Pesticide residues · Manufacturing by-products (e.g. in creatine)
Microbiology
Powders and plant-based blends in particular are checked to make sure they are safe to consume.
Checks: Salmonella and E. coli · Yeast and mould · Total bacterial count
Stability & freshness
Some ingredients degrade. Fish oil can oxidise, which affects quality, smell and taste.
Checks: Fish-oil oxidation (peroxide, anisidine, TOTOX) · Shelf-life and potency over time
Sporting eligibility
Programmes like Informed Sport focus here. Passing this does not by itself prove the label amounts are exact.
Checks: WADA-prohibited substances such as stimulants and steroids
Reading a lab report (Certificate of Analysis)
- The product name, size and flavour match exactly what's on our shelf.
- The batch (lot) number matches the tub — results for one batch don't prove another.
- The lab is independent of the manufacturer, ideally ISO/IEC 17025 accredited.
- It lists which tests were run — content, contaminants, microbiology — not just “passed”.
- Each result is shown against a specification or limit.
- It's recent, dated and signed or otherwise traceable to the lab.