Is AG1 Pesticide Free? A Look at Quality and Testing

December 21, 2025 •

4 min read

According to Athletic Greens' quality standards, AG1 is tested for over 500 pesticides and herbicides, confirming it is pesticide free. AG1 ingredients, sourced from whole foods, are rigorously tested to exceed industry standards and ensure a clean, high-quality final product.

Quick Summary

AG1, the daily greens supplement by Athletic Greens, undergoes extensive in-house and third-party testing for hundreds of contaminants, including over 500 pesticides and herbicides. The company has robust quality control measures, partner with high-standard suppliers, and holds certifications like NSF Certified for Sport®. Although not certified organic, the product is non-GMO and ensures product purity through its rigorous testing protocols.

Key Points

Extensive Testing for Purity: AG1 confirms it is pesticide-free by testing every batch for over 500 pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate.
Third-Party Certified: The product is NSF Certified for Sport® and Informed Choice/Cologne List® certified, which guarantees independent verification for banned substances and contaminants.
Not Certified Organic: While some ingredients are organic, AG1 as a whole is not certified organic, but the company focuses on rigorous testing instead of relying solely on organic practices for purity.
Batch-Specific Transparency: Athletic Greens provides Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for each batch, detailing test results for heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants.
High-Standard Sourcing: Ingredients are sourced from trusted partners and are tested before and after manufacturing to ensure potency, purity, and safety.
Goes Beyond Organic Standards: The company's testing-first approach can offer a higher degree of assurance for the final product's purity than a standard organic label alone.
Focus on Final Product Safety: The extensive testing protocols on the finished product and raw materials ensure that AG1 meets high safety and purity standards, verified by multiple independent organizations.

Understanding AG1's Approach to a Pesticide-Free Supplement

When evaluating a supplement derived from whole-food sources like AG1, a primary concern for many consumers is the presence of pesticides and other environmental contaminants. While AG1 is not certified organic, the company emphasizes that their rigorous quality control and testing processes ensure the product is free from pesticides. Athletic Greens has established a comprehensive approach that prioritizes sourcing, testing, and third-party validation to deliver a product with high purity and safety standards.

The Importance of Comprehensive Contaminant Testing

The supplement industry is not as strictly regulated as the pharmaceutical industry, making third-party testing a critical differentiator for product safety. Athletic Greens addresses this by going beyond standard practices and testing for a wide range of impurities. This process is vital because even ingredients sourced from the ground can naturally contain trace amounts of heavy metals, which the company also rigorously tests for. By testing for both pesticides and heavy metals, Athletic Greens provides a more complete picture of product purity.

Here is a list of Athletic Greens' quality and testing methods:

Extensive Pesticide and Herbicide Testing: Each batch of AG1 is tested for over 500 pesticides and herbicides. This includes widely used substances such as glyphosate, atrazine, and AMPA.
Third-Party Certifications: AG1 holds prestigious certifications like NSF Certified for Sport® and Informed Choice/Cologne List®. These independent programs verify that supplements are free from banned substances and meet strict safety standards.
Rigorous Heavy Metal Analysis: Testing confirms that heavy metal levels—including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic—are well below the safety guidelines established by organizations like USP and NSF.
Supplier Qualification: Athletic Greens selects its suppliers based on strict internal quality standards and requires them to meet or exceed targets for purity.
Batch-Specific Certificates of Analysis (COA): For ultimate transparency, AG1 publishes Certificates of Analysis for each batch, which contain the results from their internal and third-party lab testing.

Comparison of AG1's Quality Standards vs. Organic Certification

Understanding the differences between AG1's quality-controlled approach and formal organic certification helps clarify why the product is pesticide-free without being labeled organic. This comparison highlights Athletic Greens' dedication to purity through testing over certification methods.


Feature	AG1's Quality Standards	Organic Certification
Primary Goal	Guaranteeing purity and safety through rigorous testing	Adhering to specific farming and production practices
Pesticide Approach	Tests for over 500 specific pesticides and herbicides in the final product and raw materials.	Prohibits the use of most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in ingredient production.
Scope of Testing	In-house and third-party testing on every batch for hundreds of contaminants, including heavy metals and banned substances.	Focuses on farming practices; final product testing for contaminants may be less comprehensive.
Ingredient Sourcing	Sources from high-quality partners and actively tests for contaminants.	Requires ingredients to be grown on land that has been free from prohibited substances for a set period.
Transparency	Provides Certificates of Analysis showing independent testing results for each batch.	Relies on adherence to certification body standards, with less public batch-specific testing data.
Non-GMO Status	Uses non-GMO ingredients.	Often includes non-GMO standards but may vary by certification.

Why AG1 Chooses a Testing-First Approach

Athletic Greens’ decision to prioritize extensive testing over full organic certification is strategic. Organic certification primarily regulates farming practices and soil content. While this is important, it does not guarantee a product is entirely free of all contaminants, as some environmental toxins and naturally occurring heavy metals can still be present. By focusing on end-product testing, Athletic Greens provides a higher degree of assurance regarding the actual purity of each batch. This is especially crucial for supplements that contain ingredients grown in soil, like vegetables and roots, where contamination is a possibility regardless of farming methods. The company's strategy ensures that every batch meets its high standards, offering a comprehensive safety net that goes beyond a standard organic label.

Conclusion: AG1 is Independently Tested to be Pesticide-Free

In conclusion, Athletic Greens confirms that AG1 is pesticide-free, supported by extensive in-house and third-party lab testing for over 500 pesticides and herbicides. While the supplement is not fully organic, its commitment to rigorous testing and quality sourcing exceeds the standards for many certified organic products by verifying the final product's purity. AG1's multiple certifications, such as NSF Certified for Sport®, further validate its dedication to safety and transparency. For consumers prioritizing a clean supplement, AG1's comprehensive testing process offers a strong guarantee of its pesticide-free status.

Note: For the latest quality control reports and full transparency, you can visit the official Athletic Greens website. [https://drinkag1.com/about-ag1/quality-standards/ctr]

AG1's commitment to safety: A deeper look

Third-party validation: AG1 is certified by NSF for Sport® and Informed Choice/Cologne List®, meaning it's tested for banned substances and contaminants.
Batch-specific COAs: The company's transparency is demonstrated by publishing Certificates of Analysis for each batch, verifying test results.
Sourcing excellence: Ingredients are sourced from high-quality, trusted partners, and tested both pre and post-manufacturing.
Focus on the final product: While not organic, the extensive testing on the finished product ensures a higher level of purity.
Contaminant testing: Tests cover more than just pesticides, including heavy metals, microbes, and residual solvents.

Frequently Asked Questions

AG1 is not certified organic as a whole product, although some ingredients may be organically sourced. Athletic Greens prioritizes extensive testing for purity over organic certification to ensure a clean final product.

Athletic Greens employs extensive testing protocols for each batch of AG1, which includes screening for over 500 different pesticides and herbicides using both internal and third-party ISO-certified laboratories.

Yes, AG1 is tested for glyphosate and its metabolites. Athletic Greens states it is certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project.

Yes, AG1 undergoes extensive third-party testing. The product is certified by highly regarded programs, including NSF Certified for Sport® and Informed Choice, which test for contaminants and banned substances.

Organic certification primarily governs farming practices, while AG1's rigorous testing focuses on verifying the purity of the final product. This includes testing for pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and microbes, offering a more complete safety assessment.

Yes, Athletic Greens provides batch-specific Certificates of Analysis (COAs) on their website. These documents offer a transparent summary of the independent testing results for each product batch.

Pesticide residues can be present in natural ingredients if the crops were conventionally farmed or exposed to environmental drift. This is why Athletic Greens uses extensive testing to verify its ingredients' purity, going beyond assumptions based on natural sourcing alone.