Bloomingdale, IL—NOW has shared the latest results of its industry self-policing program of testing unfamiliar brands sold on online in an effort to expose and address low-quality products in the marketplace. This is its 19th round of testing since the start of its efforts in 2017. The company's testing has focused on products sold on Amazon.com and Walmart.com, analyzing the quality of products featuring in-demand ingredients, such as berberine and resveratrol.
The quality testing program’s most recent focus is a follow-up survey of SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine) samples purchased on Amazon in October 2024. The results demonstrate that "profound quality and labeling failings continue" and the results have been shared with Amazon and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the hopes that action will be taken to stop poor practices, as well as with consumers so they can make informed purchases.
As WholeFoods Magazine has reported, in 2020 NOW tested "suspicious" SAM-e supplements purchased on Amazon in March 2020 and found all 11 products tested to be low potency; two of the brands had zero potency. NOW shared that a lawsuit was filed in 2019 against several similar brands of SAM-e due to low potency, but the suit was eventually dismissed.
About NOW's 2024 SAM-e testing
NOW re-investigated SAM-e because it is expensive, and "brands appear to cheat regularly with costly products such as SAM-e." For the new tests:
- In October 2024, NOW purchased two bottles each of 24 "suspicious" SAM-e supplements on Amazon to test internally and externally at Eurofins labs.
- Some brands were chosen because they appeared to be mislabeled based on excessively high potency claims.
- NOW chose several in the gummy format, because SAM-e is unstable and can degrade quickly due to moisture and heat.
- NOW gathered a new round of samples from more brands and checked to see if any brands corrected their false labeling claims.
- All samples were tested by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at both NOW’s and Eurofins’ labs using a validated method for testing SAM-e based on the USP monograph for SAM-e.
NOW explained that SAM-e is an unstable compound, so it is often enteric-coated to maintain stability. Another option, NOW shared, comes from ingredient supplier Gnosis by Lesaffre, which makes a proprietary SAM-e from disulfate tosylate salt that is stable enough to avoid enteric coating.
"SAM-e potency is somewhat confusing to understand," NOW noted. "It takes a minimum of 800 mg of S-Adenosyl L-Methionine Tosylate Disulfate to produce 400 mg SAM-e (S-Adenosyl L-Methionine). Some brands label full disclosure to include this, while others do not. It is not required, but does help consumers fully understand what is in the product."
NOW's findings
- Five repeat low-potency brands from the 2020 testing continue to be widely sold on Amazon. The five brands that failed testing in 2020 failed again, with one containing zero potency and three containing less than 20% of label claim.
- 48% of failing samples were found in Florida-based brands, with some sharing matching or near-identical lot numbers.
- NOW’s product tested well above the label claim at 109% average. NOW adds significant overages to ensure full potency at expiration date.
- 20 of the remaining 23 samples failed potency testing; 16 of the remaining 23 brands contained less than 20% of labeled potency; six brands contained 0 potency, including both Gummy products.
- One brand labeled in vegetarian capsules tested to contain animal gelatin, and it also failed with zero potency.
NOW shared the following table, outlining the results. Brands that failed potency testing are highlighted red in the table. The five brands that failed testing in 2020 are highlighted yellow in the table.
Previous NOW testing includes:
NOW also has reported multiple supplements sold on Amazon impersonating the NOW brand, as well as another prominent industry supplement brand.
Opportunity for natural products retailers
NOW generally does not test health food store brands or practitioner brands, as the company says quality issues do not seem to be a major issue with those brands. In 2022, WholeFoods Magazine recognized NOW and other industry leaders for their industry self-policing efforts, naming the Person of the Year: The Amazon.com Quality Activists. Dan Richard, VP of Global Sales and Marketing, NOW Health Group, told WholeFoods: “Stores can publish NOW’s results to let consumers know ‘buyer beware.' They can share some of the many articles published about our testing programs in their newsletters or on social media. The low prices online are sometimes too good to be true. Local stores have many advantages that online stores can’t offer including service, in-person experience, sampling, and more. It’s not easy these days for any business, but many natural retailers still succeed by finding a worthwhile niche, providing quality health products and at a reasonable price."
