Amazon Raises the Bar for Dietary Supplement Sellers
Amazon has rolled out new requirements for dietary supplements sold on its site. From mandating clear visibility into testing results to pushing for detailed images of the product label, the revised rules are bold steps to improve the quality of supplements sold on the mega-marketplace.
Listed below are the key requirements to keep your products (new AND existing) in compliance and ready to sell.
- For every dietary supplement product sold, a Certificate of Analysis, or CoA, must be submitted to Amazon from an accredited laboratory. The CoA must also have been issued within the past six months and must be accompanied by legible product images (see point #2).
- Amazon additionally requires clear product images. This means that all sides of the product label are visible, a clear image of the nutritional fact panel and ingredient list is provided, and the company’s name/address and product name are included.
- Last, a Letter of Guarantee from the product manufacturer is needed. The letter must be on the manufacturer’s letterhead, assure that the supplement is produced under FDA’s current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs), and assure that only lawful and safe ingredients (and concentration of those ingredients) are utilized.
By implementing these enhanced measures, Amazon can more easily distinguish which dietary supplements are safe and consumer-ready, versus which are not in compliance and pose a potential risk to its buyers. Many industry stakeholders are also publicly praising Amazon’s efforts to drive more transparency, including NOW Foods. NOW’s vice president of global sales and marketing, Dan Richard, says, “We have seen products with virtually zero potency, and a very high percent of suspicious products tested below legal labeled potencies […] Amazon is taking a very big step to try to rein in bad quality products and deserves applause for this effort.”
At ClearCut Analytics, we further support Amazon’s efforts. ClearCut’s VP of Business Development Dan Harari says,“Consumers should have confidence in the supplements they purchase regardless of where they buy them. This move by Amazon is commendable for consumers and brands alike.“
If you have any further questions about the updated policy, you can find Amazon’s dietary supplements policy here. Our team is also happy to discuss the policy with you! Contact us here.