With the number of athletes being accused of taking banned substances continuing to rise, US-based public health and safety company NSF International has introduced a programme designed to help athletes avoid the inadvertent consumption of illegal products.
The Athletic Banned Substances Verification Programme is designed to detect the presence of substances banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in dietary supplements including stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, diuretics, masking agents, beta-blockers and other banned substances.
The NSF Dietary Supplement Programme offers four separate services, which include a certification programme, a China endangered species verification programme, a GMP registration programme and verification of acceptable substances for use by Olympians.
The NSF Athletic Banned Substance Verification Programme conducts testing to ensure that the dietary supplement product contains the identity and quantity of dietary ingredients listed on the product label and is free of any undeclared contaminants or prohibited ingredients that may result in disqualification from competitions. The NSF verification programmes also offer screening to specific organisations including the Olympic Association, NCAA, NFL and other sports organisations.
"Associated members of the athletic community expressed concerns that many supplements contain undeclared ingredients and if consumed may cause a positive testing for banned substances," commented Ray Jaglowski, vice president, new business development for NSF. "Our verification programme directly addresses these concerns."