How Does NOW Ensure Supplement Quality?

December 20, 2025 •

3 min read

With over 31,000 tests conducted in their in-house labs each month, NOW Foods has established a rigorous quality control process to ensure the purity, potency, and safety of its products. This comprehensive approach is central to how NOW ensures supplement quality, providing peace of mind for consumers.

Quick Summary

NOW Foods guarantees supplement quality through rigorous internal and external testing, current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) compliance, and meticulous sourcing and manufacturing.

Key Points

Extensive In-House Testing: NOW performs over 31,000 monthly tests in its ISO-accredited labs, scrutinizing raw materials and finished products for purity, potency, and contaminants.
cGMP Certified Since 2000: NOW's manufacturing facilities have held an 'A' rated cGMP certification from the Natural Products Association for decades, verifying robust quality controls.
Strategic Third-Party Verification: The company partners with external labs and programs like Informed Sport to provide an additional layer of unbiased certification, particularly for its sports products.
Meticulous Ingredient Sourcing: Ingredients are sourced from trusted, GMP-compliant vendors and tested upon arrival, with a focus on non-GMO, organic, and trademarked materials.
Label Accuracy Guarantee: NOW's rigorous testing and QA processes ensure that the contents of the bottle match the product label, guaranteeing potency and identity.
Allergen Control Protocols: Facilities are designed to prevent cross-contamination, and finished products are tested for allergens to ensure consumer safety.

The dietary supplement industry is largely self-regulated, making a manufacturer’s commitment to quality vital for consumer trust. NOW Foods, a family-owned company, has made quality a core principle. Its comprehensive quality assurance program is based on superior ingredient sourcing, rigorous in-house testing, verifiable third-party certifications, and state-of-the-art manufacturing. By controlling every step, NOW leads in ensuring label accuracy.

The Core of NOW's Quality Assurance: Comprehensive Testing

NOW's commitment to quality centers on its extensive in-house laboratory system. With over 150 scientists, the company performs over 31,000 tests monthly, a scale uncommon in the industry, offering control over product quality and turnaround. Testing occurs at multiple production stages, from raw materials to finished goods.

Advanced Analytical Instruments

NOW's labs feature advanced equipment for precise testing:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Checks purity and potency.
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Detects heavy metals like lead and mercury with high sensitivity.
Gas Chromatography (GC): Analyzes essential oils and screens for contaminants.
RiboPrinter®: Verifies probiotic strain identity.

Beyond the Baseline: Certifications and Independent Verification

Beyond internal testing, NOW seeks third-party certifications for independent verification, often exceeding industry standards.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): NOW's facilities have maintained a top “A” rating for cGMP certification from the Natural Products Association (NPA) since 2000. This ensures consistent quality through controlled manufacturing.

Informed Sport Certification: NOW's sports nutrition products are certified by Informed Sport, a global anti-doping program testing each production run for banned substances.

ISO Accreditation: NOW's analytical and microbiological labs are ISO-accredited by A2LA, confirming their testing competence and quality management.


Comparison of NOW's Quality Control to Standard Industry Practices	Feature	NOW Foods Approach	Standard Industry Practice
Lab Testing	Extensive in-house labs with advanced equipment (31,000+ tests/month) for fast, consistent results.	Often relies on outsourcing to contract labs, which can be slower and more expensive.
Quality Standards	Adheres to cGMP but also uses internal standards that often exceed FDA requirements.	Compliance with minimum FDA cGMP regulations, which can be less comprehensive.
Raw Material Scrutiny	Rejects raw materials that don't meet strict internal standards, even if certified organic.	May accept materials based solely on vendor Certificate of Analysis (CoA) without further verification.
Label Accuracy	Internal QA and trademarked ingredient programs guarantee that what's on the label is in the bottle.	Variable; some companies may not have robust systems for verifying label claims.
Third-Party Verification	Uses independent certifications for specific product lines (e.g., Informed Sport, Non-GMO Project).	May not pursue any third-party verification, relying only on internal processes.

Ingredient Sourcing and Manufacturing

Quality begins with raw materials. NOW's team sources ingredients from trusted, GMP-compliant vendors, prioritizing organic and non-GMO options when possible. Incoming materials undergo immediate testing and inspection; substandard materials are rejected. Manufacturing is closely monitored to ensure consistency and prevent cross-contamination, with separate production environments and thorough equipment cleaning.

Conclusion: A Multi-Layered Approach to Consumer Trust

NOW's extensive quality control is a multi-layered commitment exceeding basic regulations. By combining comprehensive in-house testing, respected third-party certifications, and meticulous sourcing, NOW provides a strong guarantee of product purity, potency, and safety. This transparency builds consumer confidence in purchasing safe and effective supplements. NOW's dedication to controlling quality at every stage is a key differentiator.

For more detailed information on NOW's quality assurance, visit their official quality page(https://www.nowfoods.com/quality-safety/comprehensive-testing).

Bioavailability Studies

NOW also invests in research to ensure nutrients are effectively absorbed and utilized, conducting bioavailability studies with human volunteers to confirm product benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOW Foods conducts comprehensive testing from raw materials to finished goods, performing over 31,000 tests each month in their in-house labs.

Yes, NOW rigorously tests products and raw materials for heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, using advanced ICP-MS technology.

In addition to extensive in-house testing, NOW uses independent third-party labs and certification programs, such as Informed Sport for their sports products.

NOW sources ingredients from trusted, GMP-compliant global vendors, prioritizing organic, non-GMO, and trademarked ingredients when possible.

NOW uses modern facilities with contained production areas and strict cleaning protocols to prevent cross-contamination, also testing for common allergens.

Yes, NOW guarantees label accuracy through rigorous multi-stage testing, ensuring the label accurately reflects the contents.

Yes, NOW Foods' manufacturing is cGMP certified by the Natural Products Association, holding a top 'A' rating since 2000.

Informed Sport is a recognized program that tests certified products for banned substances, offering assurance, particularly for athletes.