Most people realise that supplements are like foods when it comes to ‘best before’ dates and that the date on the back of the label is there to show you how much longer you have before the supplement must be consumed. Supplements are rarely seen to ‘go bad’, unless they have been exposed to moisture, but what you can’t see is that the nutrients often degrade over time, especially if they are vitamins, so the supplement looks OK but the nutrient levels have declined.
We do it right!
At Nature’s Best the best before date means the product will still contain the nutrient levels given on the label (with a few percent difference permitted each way) on that date, as long as the product has been kept in a cool place. The ‘shelf life’ we give our products is based on an extensive testing programme and years of experience. And although some products, such as minerals, are stable for 3 years, most of our products are made and consumed within 12 months.
How to look after your supplements
- Keep them in a cool dry place, preferably in the dark
- Once open use them continuously until finished
- Don’t use wet hands when taking the tablets out of the pots
Steps we take to meet our dates
To ensure our products live up to their label claims these are some of the things we do:
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All our supplements are made to GMP pharmaceutical standards
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Tablets and capsules are packed straight after being manufactured
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We include extra ‘overages’ of nutrients known to be less stable
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We hold minimal stocks, so our products are freshly made
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We use small pots (90 tabs, not 360 tabs) if a product is vulnerable to moisture
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We include a desiccant in the pots of certain vulnerable products
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Our products are made from scratch in the UK
How not to do it!
Many bargain supplements have inaccurate, untested ‘best before’ dates. In fact, some companies importing in bulk from China and India use the UK packing date, ignoring the 4-6 months ocean voyage to get here!
