Maintaining the quality of supplements through stability testing

The dietary supplement market has grown substantially over the past 20 years, in terms of both sales and the number of products available1.

 

This trend has been primarily driven by increased consumer focus on personal health and wellbeing, with supplements being developed to support chronic disease management, weight loss, nutrition, and brain health 1, 2 As the industry continues to grow and becomes increasingly competitive, ensuring supplement quality and compliance is more important than ever. 

 

 As a result, it is vital that quality is prioritised throughout the entire supplement development process. To support this goal, a crucial stage is stability testing, which assesses a product’s integrity and performance over the course of its shelf life. Ensuring supplement stability is critical for meeting the quality, safety, and efficacy expectations of consumers and regulatory bodies, so accurate and precise testing should form a core component of any development project. 

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What is supplement stability testing?

 

Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the labelled expiry date of their food products are accurate. Thorough stability testing helps to ensure that the necessary safety and efficacy requirements are met for all ingredients throughout a product’s shelf life. It also helps ensure there are no undesirable changes to sensorial properties such as texture, colour, flavour, or odour 3.

 

This is particularly important for supplements, which typically contain multiple active ingredients, each with unique stability requirements. Different ingredients break down at different rates, so the labelled shelf life must be based on the ingredient with the fastest decline. Moreover, in complex formulations such as dietary supplements, the different constituent ingredients can react with each other, further impacting stability.

To quantify ingredient levels and ensure accuracy in both real-time and accelerated shelf life studies, tailored analytical methods are essential. In order to minimise analytical variation, the methods used should be specific, accurate, and repeatable for the active ingredient in relation to the product matrix. For products containing multiple ingredients, several assays may be required.

What tests are conducted during a stability study?

 

There are a number of different tests that can be performed as part of the stability study, including organoleptic, physical, microbiological, and chemical analyses.

 

All claimed component levels need to be determined using appropriate analytical methods, but in complex matrices it may be acceptable to test for the less stable ingredients and extrapolate using a risk-based approach.

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Emerging trends and innovations in stability testing

 

Recent advancements in stability testing are enabling more precise quality assessments in the food supplement industry, enhancing developers' ability to predict product shelf life, degradation, and ingredient interactions. These innovations are contributing to more efficient product development by providing rapid, data-driven insights into the conditions under which supplements maintain their stability and efficacy, even with complex ingredient compositions.

 

The industry is also experiencing a shift towards more environmentally friendly packaging solutions as consumer demand for sustainable products continues to grow. As such, packaging that utilises biopolymers and other biodegradable materials is becoming increasingly popular. However, these options provide unique challenges for product stability and must be carefully designed and tested to ensure that they can protect the product over its lifespan 4. 

 

The growing consumer demand for supplements containing natural ingredients 2 also poses stability challenges for developers. Many natural compounds are especially sensitive to environmental factors and can degrade without artificial preservatives. Consequently, ensuring the stability of these natural ingredients without compromising safety or efficacy is an emerging focus in supplement development and production.

 

 

 

Stability testing for dietary supplement quality and compliance

 

Effective stability testing is crucial for maintaining the quality, safety, and efficacy of dietary supplements, safeguarding consumer health, and fostering a trusted brand reputation. By enabling developers to understand how ingredients interact and degrade over time, stability testing ensures that products remain effective throughout their shelf life and meet the standards for quality and regulatory compliance.

 

As the dietary supplement market continues to expand, prioritising reliable stability testing is critical. High-quality and accurate testing practices enable manufacturers to deliver consistent, dependable products from development to shelf, reinforcing their commitment to high standards. This approach not only supports compliance, but also enhances consumer confidence, positioning brands favourably in an increasingly competitive and health-conscious market.

 

Your trusted partner

Confidently understand the stability of your supplement with RSSL's expert shelf life testing services. Supported by a multidisciplinary team with experience across a wide range of supplement types, we can help you ensure that your products retain their quality and efficacy over the entire product lifespan.

 

For more supplement testing solutions, our dietary supplements testing service comprises a suite of analyses ranging from nutrition and supplement testing to novel ingredient evaluation, applications, manufacturing, and regulatory guidance. 

 

With specialised support tailored to the complex needs of your supplement product, you can trust RSSL to help you in meeting quality and compliance standards.

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