Third-party certification company UL has announced that Walgreens brand vitamins and supplements have become the first to display a UL verified mark on labels, indicating approval that the products contain ingredients as listed on Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts panels. This is the first time the UL Verified Mark has appeared on dietary supplement packaging.
 
This label represents the company’s assessment and confirmation of the accuracy of Supplement and Nutrition Facts panels. The certification involves facility audits and product testing. Each UL-verified product will also display a UL Verified mark with a unique identifier number that consumers can use to understand the verification methodology as described on the publicly-available UL Verify Database.
 
“Consumers want to trust what is in the product they are taking, while retailers need to provide that trust and assurance,” said Doug Lockard, vice president and general manager of UL’s retail and consumer products group. “UL’s Verified Mark creates trust based on independent, credible proof regarding a product’s ingredients. Walgreens investment in earning UL’s Verified Mark demonstrates its commitment to delivering quality products. We thank them for putting their trust in UL to help them deliver on that promise.”
 
UL reports that its dietary supplement consumer research suggests that ingredient accuracy and quality is top of mind for most consumers, with the ingredient list as the main item respondents look for on supplement packaging. According to their research, consumers recognize “the lack of U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation for supplements. The lack of oversight drives consumers to verify product quality from online reviews, friends, family, and other trusted sources, with 76% saying that a UL Mark would influence their buying decision,” the company reports.
 
“Trust is core to any relationship, and we believe ingredient transparency is very important,” said Luke Rauch, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Walgreens. “That’s why we worked with UL to obtain objective and independent third-party verification for the ingredients in our dietary supplements and vitamins. With this new verification, you can trust that our vitamins contain exactly what is listed on the nutritional and supplement facts panel, building on our reputation as a trusted name in health and wellness.”