China

ConsumerLab takes its ingredient safety reports to China

By RJ Whitehead

- Last updated on GMT

Nine out of the 10 Chinese products tested were found to contain the ingredients they claimed
Nine out of the 10 Chinese products tested were found to contain the ingredients they claimed

Related tags United states

ConsumerLab.com (CL) has launched a Chinese-language service, cn.ConsumerLab.com, to help consumers in China evaluate the safety of food products.

Doctors and consumers in the United States have been using CL since 1999 to find out which nutritional products are highest in quality based independent testing.

"Our information is designed for people who want to choose the best quality products for themselves and their family members​," said Dr Tod Cooperman, the site’s founder and president. 

Growing information store

CL's tests check that products contain the correct ingredients, at the amount listed, without common contaminants such as heavy metals. Fish and plant oils are also tested for spoilage, and all tablets and caplets are tested for their ability to properly break apart. 

The new website currently has information on 418 US products and 10 Chinese products in reports covering calcium, vitamin D, multivitamins, vitamin B complexes and energy drinks, and fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Probiotics, CoQ10, arthritis products with chondroitin, glucosamine, MSM and boswellia, ginseng, green tea, protein powders and drinks, and weight loss products are also featured. 

Although most of the current reports on CL focus on products the site purchased in the US, many of them are available online to people in China. The site also includes ConsumerLab.com's first tests of products purchased in China—calcium and vitamin D products sold in China as OTC or "healthy food" products. 

Chinese tests better than expected

Nine out of 10 of these products were found to contain what they claimed—one product was found to contain 87% of the listed calcium. Indeed, the results for the Chinese products were better than those found with similar popular products sold in the US, among which only 73% passed testing, said Cooperman.

Other products from China now being tested by CL include glucosamine and chondroitin for joint pain and maca root, a purported energy enhancer. 

Dr Yongchao Li has been appointed CL's chief scientist for China, where he will be responsible for research on products from the country and communicating results and information on the Chinese-language website. 

Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is privately held and based in New York. It is independent from any companies that manufacture, distribute or sell consumer products.

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