Proof Over Promises: Why Third Party Tested Supplements Matter

Up Your Standards is not just a call to action to motivate our loyal customers. It’s also the ethos behind the Biogen brand – the motivation for our relentless drive to deliver products that empower athletes at every level to #BeYourBest. More importantly, it’s the abiding principle that defines our quality standards. 

Having worked with multiple sporting codes, professional teams, national events and athletes at every level, the Biogen team understands the quality requirements and safety protocols athletes require and demand from their nutritional and performance supplements.

That is why we value proof over promises when it comes to delivering products that support your lifestyle, your training and your race-day performance. We know that for anyone who cares about what goes into their body, proof is the minimum requirement when choosing a trusted supplement brand.

Exacting quality assurance programmes guide our manufacturing processes, and stringent testing ensure the products that leave our facility deliver on our promise with verified quality and certified contents. 

One of the greatest accolades in our 21-year history is the fact that, for the last 11 years, Biogen has voluntarily enrolled in the independent Informed Sport and Informed Choice testing programmes. 

These measures are the foundation of our ambition and brand mission to be South Africa’s most tested and trusted sports supplement and vitamins brand.  

We view our participation in these third-party testing programmes as the highest endorsement of our relentless commitment and investment into the integrity, ethics and authenticity that exemplifies the Biogen brand and approach. 

It’s how we express our values of high performance underpinned by safe and responsible product use. 

Our obsession with ensuring that what we put on shelves and provide our athletes is best in class is embodied in our partnership with LGC Limited in the UK. 

LGC offers one of the best third-party risk management and certification options globally, including its ground-breaking Informed Sport, Informed Choice and Informed Protein programmes.

The independent testing carried out by LGC holds us and our suppliers accountable, ensuring we provide athletes and customers with supplements that deliver on label claims and are certified free from banned or prohibited substances so they can train and compete with peace of mind.

Informed Sport is a global quality assurance programme for sports supplements and nutritional products established by LGC with the support of sports governing bodies and key players in the supplement sector.

The certification programme gives athletes the assurance that products carrying the Informed Sport logo have been tested for prohibited substances and manufactured to high quality standards. 

This programme offers the highest level of assurance as every batch of a certified product undergoes testing before it is released.

The lab’s methodology meets the exacting requirements of various regulating bodies and covers all formulation types, from powders, capsules and tablets to gels, bars and liquids. Every product carrying the Informed-Sport logo undergoes rigorous testing for over 250 banned substances by LGC’s world-class anti-doping labs, using ISO 17025-accredited methods.

LGC screens every batch of a certified product for banned substances at a part-per-billion level, and all manufacturing processes must meet strict quality control standards, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

LGC carries out ongoing product testing on the sports nutrition and food products in the Biogen Informed Sport range.

As part of the process audits, if any manufacturer we work with changes a preferred supplier or packer of any sachets or components, we consider it a process breach, and are contractually obliged to notify us of any changes before making them.

The Informed Sport programme is the gold standard worldwide. Products enrolled in the Informed Sport programme are ideal for elite athletes and those subject to strict doping controls, as these products have been tested for a broad range of substances that are banned or prohibited in sports, using highly sensitive techniques.

When using Informed Sport-certified products, athletes can train and compete with confidence knowing that their reputation is in safe hands.

Informed Choice is a global quality assurance and dietary supplement testing program for nutritional supplements.

The presence of the Informed Choice quality mark on product packaging demonstrates that the product has been regularly tested for more than 250+ banned and unsafe substances.

The logo also affirms that the certified dietary supplements were made in an environment with quality systems appropriate for the stringent demands of dietary supplements and nutrition manufacturing.

More than just ensuring the absence of banned or prohibited ingredients, the Informed Choice certification means supplements are produced according to strict Good Manufacturing Practices, which ensures consistent quality and ingredient purity.

This comprehensive programme includes retail monitoring, supplement verification, and third-party oversight of manufacturing facilities and processes, which help reduce the risk of impurities and banned substances entering dietary supplements.

Dietary and nutritional supplement products certified by Informed Choice undergo a rigorous pre-certification and post-certification process, consisting of four stages:

1. Product & Manufacturing Review
2. Pre-Certification Sample Testing
3. Product Certification, Logo Use and Web Listing
4. Post-Certification Requirements and Testing

Products carrying the Informed Choice certification logo are ideal for athletes and consumers in the broader market who do not necessarily compete in professional or competitive sports, but want a trusted product to support their training and recovery. 

The Informed Protein programme is another important way to express our commitment to quality, with Biogen Iso-Whey Premium Protein the first product in the range to receive the industry-leading certification.

Informed Protein is a global protein testing and verification program developed by LGC to verify the amount of protein in enrolled supplements. It also subjects products to heavy metal testing, offering proof that the product meets regulatory and safety standards.

All certified products are analysed for free amino acids in world-renowned LGC labs using ISO 17025-accredited methods and a detailed manufacturing audit. 

Certified products are also assessed for their total nitrogen content and are evaluated for their carbon/nitrogen ratio to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Once products are certified, they are regularly tested through blind sampling.

The Informed Protein logo provides protein supplement users proof that the product label claims have been independently verified, which means the amount of protein listed on the packaging is what you get in the tub. 

In the pursuit of performance and optimal health, shortcuts are a gamble where the stakes are far too high.

For athletes, an unverified supplement could lead to a positive test.

For the everyday consumer, cheap ingredients and uncertified facilities can lead to compromised quality and potentially impact your health.

While testing for prohibited substances is critical for competitive athletes, it is only one piece of the puzzle. A product can be free of banned substances, but still fail to deliver the on it promises.

Choosing a brand that bypasses third-party testing might save you some money in the short term, but it often has long-term implications. That’s why we believe that if you care about what goes into your body, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.

When you Up Your Standards and choose Biogen products, you are doing more than just buying a quality supplement. You are choosing a brand that values accountability over marketing jargon and proof over promises. 

When you demand proof, you empower yourself to #BeYourBest with the peace of mind that your hard work is supported by the safest, most effective nutritional support available.