Although UL has been involved in dietary supplement verification since 2015, this is the first time such a seal with appear on supplement packaging, the organization said.
The new seal with also appear on supplement product pages on walgreens. com, the companies announced.
UL is a legacy safety certification organization that dates back to 1894. It was at first dedicated to the certification of early electrical devices and power distribution networks. It branched out into many other industrial sectors, including industrial and household chemicals manufacture.
In addition to the product verification, UL has also offered a manufacturing certification too. Called the UL National Brand Certification Program (NBCP), the effort verifies that a company’s manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution complies with federal standards. Prominent supplement manufacturer and retailer NOW uses the certification service.
Building trust
UL said consumer research done by The Pew Charitable Trusts found that 71% of consumers thought retailers should be responsible for the safety and label accuracy of supplements. UL said according to its own consumer surveys, ingredient accuracy and quality are also top of mind for most consumers, with the ingredient list as the main item respondents look for on supplement packaging. The organization claimed that 76% of the consumers it surveyed said a UL Mark would influence their buying decision.
“Trust is core to any relationship, and we believe ingredient transparency is very important. That’s why we worked with UL to obtain objective and independent third-party verification for the ingredients in our dietary supplements and vitamins. With this new verification, you can trust that our vitamins contain exactly what is listed on the nutritional and supplement facts panel,” said ," said Luke Rauch, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Walgreens.
“Consumers want to trust what is in the product they are taking, while retailers need to provide that trust and assurance. UL's Verified Mark creates trust based on independent, credible proof regarding a product's ingredients,” said Doug Lockard, vice president and general manager of UL's Retail and Consumer Products group.
