Do supplements contain the promised nutrients?
Again, it depends. ConsumerLab.com, which tests products for its industry certification program and sells subscriptions to its reports for consumers, recently surveyed glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for pets and humans. Sixty percent of the pet products failed, compared to 25% of those manufactured for people, says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. The National Animal Supplement Council also recently checked its members’ joint support products and found that 25% didn’t meet label claims, president Bill Bookout says. “We require companies to do an investigation, find out why that is, and take corrective action.” ConsumerLab.com tests of three probiotic supplements in 2006 found that only one contained enough viable organisms to be effective. “In the pet area, we’ve seen the quality is lower than it is for human supplements,” Cooperman says.
