Republished June 25, 2024
Consumers who use dietary supplements such as vitamins have no way of knowing if the products they select meet certain quality manufacturing standards. They also have no way of knowing if they are dealing with reputable manufacturers. In response, a drug standards organization called the US Pharmacopeia (USP) established The Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP).
Manufacturers that voluntarily participate in the program can draw upon the scientific expertise of USP to distinguish their products from the wide range of products in the marketplace. If a product submitted to DSVP meets rigorous standards, it will be awarded a verification mark (Figure 1), which shows that it: contains the listed ingredients on the product label, contains the amount or strength of ingredients listed on the product label, meets requirements for limits on potential contaminants; and has been manufactured properly by following good manufacturing practices.
Pharmavite, one of the nation's largest dietary supplement manufacturers, was the first company to receive verification for its Nature Made vitamin and mineral product line. Since then, Kirkland Signature vitamin products (available at Cosco Stores) have also received this verification.
To learn more about selecting dietary supplements that are USP Verified Products, visit the Quality Supplements website.
