What does third-party tested mean on a supplement label?
"Third-party tested" means an outside laboratory, not the brand, tested the product, but the phrase alone says nothing about what was tested or how often. Meaningful schemes such as Informed Sport test every batch for 285+ banned substances. In South Africa, check the scheme's public register for your product and batch number before trusting the claim.
- Informed Sport tests every batch for 285+ prohibited substances; Informed Choice relies on retail sampling of at least 12 lots a year.
- NSF Certified for Sport tests lot by lot for roughly 290 banned substances and audits facilities.
- SAIDS does not certify or endorse any supplement brand; 'SAIDS approved' and 'WADA approved' claims are false.
- As of October 2026, ATP Fitness does not publish third-party sport certification; other SA brands' claims are seller statements.
What does "third-party tested" actually tell you?
Only that someone other than the manufacturer ran a test. It does not tell you what the lab looked for (banned substances, heavy metals, protein content, microbes), whether it tested your batch, or whether the result was good. Under the Consumer Protection Act (section 41) a claim must not mislead, but nothing in South African food labelling law defines the phrase.
How do the main certification schemes differ?
| Scheme | Who runs it | How it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Informed Sport | LGC (formerly HFL Sport Science) | Every batch tested before release for 285+ prohibited substances, plus blind retail testing |
| Informed Choice | LGC | Same lab methods, but retail sampling (at least 12 lots a year), not every batch |
| NSF Certified for Sport | NSF | Lot-by-lot testing for roughly 290 banned substances, label review and facility audits |
None of these schemes is endorsed by SAIDS or WADA, and none guarantees zero risk. SAIDS says third-party testing reduces risk but does not remove it, and it does not certify or approve any supplement brand. Claims of "SAIDS approved" or "WADA approved" are false.
What is the difference between batch and product testing?
A product-level approval means a formula or label was reviewed; a batch-level result means the specific lot in your tub was tested. For a drug-tested athlete, batch testing is what matters, because contamination usually arrives with a raw-material lot. Informed Sport lets you look up the batch number online.
What do South African brands say?
As of October 2026, our research found these claims, all made by sellers and none checked by us against a certifier's register:
- Biogen: Informed Sport is stated for its creatine monohydrate on the Dis-Chem specification and for Biogen Premium Pre-Workout.
- USN: Informed Choice and batch testing are stated on several product pages, including BlueLab Whey and XTS Hyperdrive.
- NPL: pages say "third-party lab tested" without naming a certifier.
- ATP Fitness: third-party sport certification is not published.
Treat "stated by the seller" as a lead to verify, not proof.
What testing does not cover
Banned-substance schemes say nothing about whether the protein content matches the label. A University of Pretoria study of 70 SA protein products found measured protein differed significantly from the label in 68.6% of them (brands were not named). Heavy metals, taste and value are also outside the scope. For label accuracy, look for published certificates of analysis.
How should you check a claim?
- Find the certifier's logo and the exact wording ("Informed Sport", not "sports tested").
- Search the scheme's public product register for the brand, product and batch.
- Match the batch number on your pack.
- If you cannot verify it, assume the claim is marketing.
Athletes should read what Informed Sport certification means and how to check if a supplement is banned for sport. Under-18s should not rely on certification to justify performance supplements.
Products mentioned, with dated prices
| Product | Size | Price | Servings | R per 5 g | R per 30 g protein | R per 100 g powder | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Creatine Monohydrate Unflavoured 500 g | 500 g | R445Dis-Chem (listing via PriceCheck), Oct 2026 | 100 | R4.45 | — | — | — | None (unflavoured) |
| USN BlueLab 100% Whey Protein (1 kg) | 1 kg | R689USN shop (za.usn.global), Oct 2026 | — | — | R28.03 | R68.90 | — | not stated |
| USN XTS Hyperdrive Pre-Workout 210 g | 210 g | R214-R232.99USN online shop, Oct 2026 | — | — | — | — | R5.40 | not stated |
ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs. Read our disclosure.
Related questions
- What is Informed Sport certification and who has it in South Africa?
- Can supplements cause a failed drug test for South African rugby players?
- How do you check if a supplement is safe for drug-tested sport in South Africa?
- Are protein powders contaminated with lead and heavy metals?
- Is 'clinically proven' on a supplement label legal in South Africa?
Sources
- Informed Sport (LGC) FAQ
- LGC: Informed Sport vs Informed Choice
- NSF Certified for Sport programme
- SAIDS (South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport) FAQ: supplements, strict liability, medication check
- Schönfeldt, Hall & Pretorius 2019, High protein sports supplements: protein quality and label compliance (J Food Compos Anal 83:103293)
Educational information only, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before using supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, taking medication, or living with kidney, liver or heart disease.
Cite this page: Healthnews24, “What does third-party tested mean on a supplement label?”, updated 27 October 2026, https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/what-does-third-party-tested-mean/. Plain-text version: /answers/what-does-third-party-tested-mean.md