Sep 21 2011 --- Responding to the issue of illegal, unsafe products being marketed as dietary supplements, Abbott’s EAS Sports Nutrition brand announced that it has certified all EAS nutrition products as free of banned substances. Two leading, independent sports testing laboratories, focused on sports nutrition safety, have certified EAS quality processes and facilities and will perform ongoing banned substance testing as part of the certification program.

Starting in late fall, EAS retail products will be marked with a certified "tested and true" quality assurance seal on packaging. The certified seal assures athletes, fitness professionals and active people that they can trust EAS products to be free of banned substances such as steroids and narcotics, as well as ingredients not declared on the product label.

Abbott applies its rigorous healthcare quality standards in the manufacturing of EAS sports nutrition products from raw ingredient to finished product. The company has now enhanced those standards to include independent testing of EAS products for more than 146 banned substances prohibited by organizations including the World Anti-Doping Agency and U.S. professional sports leagues.

According to a 2011 Euromonitor industry report, the popularity of sports nutrition products has exploded along with the fitness trend over the last decade, creating a $3 billion industry in the United States.

Since 2007, the FDA has identified more than 300 illegal products marketed as "dietary supplements" that contained hidden drugs, stimulants or other undeclared substances2.

The popularity of dietary supplements combined with the freedom and ease to buy and sell over the internet has attracted providers looking to make a quick profit, while leaving athletes and fitness enthusiasts with a greater risk of receiving tainted products.

EAS Sports Nutrition partnered with two global industry leaders focused on sports nutrition safety.
o NSF International, an independent, global public health and safety organization.
o HFL Sport Science, a world-renowned sports doping control and research laboratory.

Together, these organizations validate the many quality checks and measures that are a routine part of the EAS manufacturing process and rigorously test EAS products for banned substances.

Commentary on the EAS 100 Percent Certified program:

From Ed Wyszumiala, general manager, NSF International Dietary Supplement Certification Programs:

"Abbott was the first company to have products certified by NSF International’s Certified for Sport program. Today, Abbott continues to demonstrate its outstanding commitment to quality by certifying its EAS products to the highest quality and safety standards."

From Caroline Russell, general manager, HFL Sport Science

"As a banned substance control lab which tests more than 5,000 supplement samples per year, we have seen firsthand the risks contaminated supplements can pose to athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Abbott has taken extraordinary steps to ensure their products are safe for athletes of all levels to use as validated by our rigorous quality control certification program."

From Tobe Cohen, divisional vice president and general manager of Global Performance Nutrition, Abbott:

"As part of a global healthcare company, we leverage Abbott’s high-quality standards in our manufacturing. We rigorously qualify and audit EAS ingredients, suppliers and facilities and conduct more than 100 quality checks throughout our manufacturing process. With the EAS certified "tested and true" quality seal, athletes now have a trusted method to know they are buying a safe product."

From Keith Wheeler, PhD, FACSM, global director, Performance Nutrition Research, Development & Scientific Affairs, Abbott, R&D:

"As a scientist with more than 30 years of experience in sports nutrition, I’ve seen firsthand how nutrition can help athletes maximize their performance and recovery. Until now, athletes and fitness enthusiasts did not have a reliable and objective standard to determine product quality. Today, EAS is setting a new standard to raise the bar and provide athletes, fitness coaches, personal trainers and parents products they can trust to be safe and high quality."