
Informed Choice
About (Informed Choice)
Informed Choice is a quality assurance program and certification standard for sports nutrition products, dietary supplements, and other nutritional products. It is designed to ensure that these products do not contain banned substances and are safe for use by athletes and consumers.
The Informed Choice program is managed by LGC, a global leader in the sports, speciality, and forensic analytical testing services. The program works in collaboration with sports organizations, anti-doping agencies, and manufacturers to provide a reliable certification process.
The main objective of the Informed Choice standard is to minimize the risk of accidental doping by ensuring that the certified products have undergone rigorous testing to verify their purity and that they do not contain any prohibited substances. The program involves the following key components:
Quality Assurance: Manufacturers and suppliers voluntarily participate in the program and commit to meeting the requirements of the Informed Choice standard. This includes implementing stringent quality control measures in their manufacturing processes.
Testing and Analysis: Products carrying the Informed Choice certification mark are regularly tested for a wide range of substances that are banned or prohibited by sports organizations. This testing is conducted by independent and accredited laboratories.
Risk Assessment: The program assesses the potential risks associated with the manufacturing and supply chain processes, including the risk of cross-contamination or accidental inclusion of banned substances.
Batch Testing: Each batch of a certified product is tested to ensure its compliance with the Informed Choice standard. This batch testing helps verify the absence of any prohibited substances and provides confidence to athletes and consumers.
Transparency and Communication: The Informed Choice program maintains a publicly accessible database of certified products, allowing athletes and consumers to verify the certification status of a particular product.
By choosing products certified by Informed Choice, athletes can have confidence that the products they consume have been tested for prohibited substances and meet strict quality standards. This helps to protect their health and integrity in competitive sports. Additionally, consumers seeking high-quality nutritional products can also rely on the Informed Choice certification as an assurance of safety and quality.