BANNED SUBSTANCES CONTROL GROUP – BSCG

In 2004, BSCG (Banned Substances Control Group) helped create a new industry focused on third-party certification and testing of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals for banned substances in sport. Today, we offer an array of product certification and testing services to protect athletes, consumers and animals from a variety of quality control and compliance concerns. Our services are available to the dietary supplement, natural product and cosmetic communities and can be applied to finished products, ingredients, or manufacturing facilities.

Our initial dietary supplement certification program focused on the protection of elite athletes and professionals by targeting banned substances in sport, which remains a key focus. We realized, however, that human athletes are not the only individuals who face risks from dietary supplement contamination. According to findings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Tainted Dietary Supplements, approximately 75% of supplement contamination issues come from drugs not banned in sport, creating risks for general consumers. Equines and canines face similar challenges as humans with concerns over feed contamination, compounded veterinary drugs and a burgeoning group of veterinary supplements.

BSCG responded issues by broadening our industry leading testing menu to focus on drugs of concern to consumers as well as equines and canines. Our industry leading banned substance testing menu now includes more than 507 drugs; including 298 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited Substances and 209 prescription, over-the-counter and illicit drugs not banned in sport. Our extended animal supplement screen adds drugs banned by the Federation Equine International (FEI) and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). BSCG provides the maximum protection for banned substances in sport with our industry leading banned substance testing menu covering compounds responsible for more than 95% of positive drug tests in World Anti-Doping Agency testing since 2006. We cover more drugs banned in sport than any other certification provider and are the first and only certification program to expand coverage to prescription, OTC and illicit drugs not banned in sport adding broad protection for brands, retailers and consumers. Check out our banned substance certification program comparison chart for more details.

BSCG third party certification programs are designed to protect dietary supplements, natural products, food and nutrition products, CBD products, cosmetics and creams, medical devices and more. Through our network of ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory partners we offer a full suite of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) testing services including analysis for heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, microbiological agents, nutritional label claims and ingredient verification. We also offer GMP auditing services for manufacturing facilities.

Enhancing Safety and Reliability: Independent Lab Testing Supplements

Independent Lab Testing Supplements play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements consumed by athletes and fitness enthusiasts. These rigorous tests conducted by third-party laboratories help verify the accuracy of ingredient labels and screen for any presence of banned substances. By relying on independent lab testing supplements, consumers can make informed choices about the products they use to support their health and performance goals. This commitment to transparency and quality assurance not only safeguards athletes from inadvertent doping violations but also reinforces trust in the integrity of the sports nutrition industry.

The Certified Drug Free program is the Sport Standard offering industry leading banned substance protection by testing every lot of participating products for more than 507 drugs including 298 on the WADA Prohibited List and 209 illicit, prescription or OTC drugs not banned in sport. Labels, claims and GMP compliance are evaluated during initial certification process and annual verification of product specifications is required.

The Certified Quality program is the Retail Standard and designed as an annual testing program for retail and consumer protection to help ensure products meet label claims and are free of harmful contaminants or drugs. Annual testing includes ingredient identity, label claims, environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, or microbiological agents and screening for our industry leading banned substance testing menu.

The Certified CBD program offers a complete quality control solution for CBD and hemp products that includes screening for our industry leading banned substance testing menu covering 507+ drugs, cannabinoid profile to verify CBD label claims and ensure THC levels are limited and will pass drug testing limits, and screening for environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, or microbiological agents. The Certified CBD is designed to provide drug testing protection to those subject to WADA, professional sport, or workplace drug testing.

The Certified Facility program is a one of a kind solution offered to manufacturing facilities to verify GMP compliance, offer banned substance screening and protection and verify that product quality specifications meet label claims consistently. It's one thing for a manufacturer to talk about dedication to quality, this certification program proves it. A GMP audit from BSCG or another certification is required, complete review of SOPs and the ingredient list available, with quarterly testing of randomly selected products for label claims, environmental contaminants, and more than 500 banned substances. 

The Certified GMP program conducts onsite manufacturing facility audits for GMP compliance to 21 CFR 111, 21 CFR 117, or other relevant standards based on the product categories produced. Onsite audits are conducted every two years.

Product certification and testing is available to finished product brands, manufacturing facilities and ingredient suppliers as well as sporting groups, leagues, teams and athletes through our Athlete Assurance Program. BSCG third party certification and testing services are acknowledged around the world and we are proud to certify more than 80 brands and 750 products available in more than 75 countries and counting.

The BSCG Conflict of Interest Policy is available for review.

Ensuring Clean Competition: Certified Supplements and Athletic Drug Testing

Ensuring the safety and integrity of dietary supplements is paramount, particularly for athletes seeking to enhance their performance within the bounds of anti-doping regulations. Third-party supplement certification programs play a crucial role in this process, implementing rigorous supplement testing protocols to verify the purity and potency of products intended for athletic consumption. Athletes rely on these certified supplements, which adhere to WADA-compliant standards, to support their training regimes without risking inadvertent ingestion of banned substances. From nutritional supplement verification to supplement quality assurance, these certification programs provide athletes with confidence in the safety and efficacy of the supplements they incorporate into their diets.

Athletic drug testing programs complement supplement certification efforts by actively detecting performance-enhancing drugs and banned substances in athletes' systems. These programs utilize advanced methods for performance-enhancing drug detection, ensuring a level playing field and upholding the integrity of competitive sports. Certified supplements for athletes, endorsed by anti-doping supplement certification programs, offer a solution for athletes seeking nutritional support without compromising their adherence to anti-doping regulations. By prioritizing supplement label accuracy and adhering to dietary supplement safety standards, these certified supplements provide athletes with a trusted resource to optimize their performance safely and responsibly.