NSF International, a global public health and safety organisation, has launched new product certification marks for its Contents Certified and Certified for Sport® programs, with the goal of better distinguishing certified products in a way that is unique and instantly recognisable. The new marks were developed with feedback from current certified brand owners, coaches, athletes and consumers.

“With the variety of NSF International marks in use we understood from our customers the need to create new dietary supplements and nutritional product certification program marks that are unique and instantly distinguishable for consumers,” said Lori Bestervelt, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at NSF International. Bestervelt helped launch NSF International’s Health Sciences Division, and, with input from a balanced stakeholder group, facilitated development of the official American National Standard for dietary supplements, NSF/ANSI 173.

The updated marks will make it easier for consumers and athletes to protect their health in choosing certified products that meet NSF requirements for health and safety. Another driving factor behind these redesigns is helping consumers clearly recognize and differentiate between NSF International’s Contents Certified product certification mark and its Certified for Sport® certification mark at retail.

Both new marks are rectangular and include the widely-recognised blue NSF circle. The new Contents Certified mark is blue with the large print “CONTENTS CERTIFIED,” which certifies that the contents have been tested to ensure they do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants and to verify label claims. The new Certified for Sport® certification mark features a two-toned design in blue and bright orange, and includes the large print “CERTIFIED SPORT.” Certified for Sport® also certifies that that the contents have been tested to verify label claims, and that the product does not contain unsafe levels of contaminants, prohibited substances or masking agents.

“Because we know product packaging comes in many different colours and designs, we‘ve also created alternate color schemes to fit any label, including a black-and-white version and a new transparent design with white accents,” said Maryann Ballotta, senior marketing manager, dietary supplements, sports nutrition and beverage quality at NSF International. The redesign also includes both a vertical and horizontal orientation, making it easy to incorporate into a variety of product labels and marketing materials of NSF certified brands.

The NSF International Good Manufacturing Process certification marks will remain the same.

Implementation of the new marks began in 2019. “We understand that redesigning packaging and marketing materials to reflect the new Certified for Sport® or Contents Certified marks will take considerable time and effort, so we’ve planned for an extended transition period to implement the new mark,” said Bestervelt.

All products meeting the respective certification requirements must implement the updated NSF marks by June 30, 2020. This applies to all product stock within the control of a company, including all unused label inventory and all marketing materials and communication.