Informed Choice, Informed Sport and the other certification schemes
Answer
The programmes differ mainly in testing frequency and scope. Informed Sport screens every batch. Informed Choice screens by sampling from retail. Both look for the same substances and neither eliminates risk.
Key takeaways
- What is the core difference?
- Testing frequency. Informed Sport screens every production batch. Informed Choice tests samples drawn periodically.
- Which matters for a tested player?
- Batch level certification, because it covers the specific tub in your hand rather than the product line.
- Are there others?
- Yes, including NSF Certified for Sport and other national schemes. They differ in scope and in what else they audit.
- Do any guarantee safety?
- No. All reduce risk substantially and none claims to eliminate it, because screening has detection limits.
What all of them are doing
Every certification programme in this space does the same core thing: takes samples of a supplement, screens them in a laboratory against a list of substances prohibited in sport, and publishes the result.
What differs between them is how often samples are taken, whether every batch is covered, whether the manufacturing site is audited, and what the published record looks like. Those differences matter to a player and they are rarely explained anywhere a player would look.
Testing frequency, which is the main difference
Batch level certification means samples from each production run are screened, and the result is published against that batch number. A player can check the tub they are holding.
Programmes that test by sampling from retail take products off shelves periodically rather than screening every run. That gives ongoing assurance about a product line and does not tell you about a specific batch. Both are legitimate and they answer different questions.
| Feature | Batch level certification | Retail sampling certification |
|---|---|---|
| What is screened | Every production batch | Samples drawn periodically from retail |
| What you can check | Your specific batch number | That the product line is in the programme |
| Published record | Against batch numbers | Against products |
| Site audit | Usually included | Varies |
| Best for | A tested athlete | General assurance about a brand |
What none of them do
None eliminates risk and none claims to. Screening has detection limits, so a substance present below them is not found. Certification covers what was sampled rather than every unit ever produced.
None of them checks whether a product is effective, whether the doses are meaningful, or whether the claims on the pack are authorised. A certified product can be a certified underdosed product being sold on a claim that does not exist. Certification answers one question narrowly and answers it well.
Which one a rugby player needs
Any player who could be tested wants batch level certification, because strict liability means the consequence attaches to the specific tub they took from.
The practical rule is the same regardless of which programme: find the batch number, look it up, and treat a logo without a listed batch as unverified. Testing is not restricted to the professional game in either code, so this applies at community level.
What it costs a manufacturer, and why the shelf looks the way it does
Certification is a paid programme. A manufacturer pays for sampling and screening on an ongoing basis, and at batch level that cost recurs on every production run.
For a large brand producing continuously it is a manageable line. For a small UK brand producing a few batches a year across several products, it is a substantial proportion of margin. That is the honest reason many small brands are uncertified, and it explains why certification correlates with brand size more than with anything else.
The Futuro Labs position, again
None of the four products covered on this site carries certification from any programme. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate, Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil, Futuro Labs Marine Collagen and Futuro Labs Lion's Mane are independently lab tested for purity and made in the UK to GMP standards.
Purity testing confirms label accuracy and checks contaminants. It does not screen for banned substances. A player subject to testing should choose a certified product, and that appears on every relevant page here rather than in small print.
What to do with all this
- Decide honestly whether you could be tested at your level.
- If yes, restrict yourself to batch level certified products.
- Find the batch number on the tub and look it up rather than trusting a logo.
- Keep the tub for as long as you are taking it.
- Remember certification says nothing about dose, effectiveness or claims.
- Check medications through governing body resources as well as supplements.
What to ask a manufacturer directly
If a product is not listed and a player wants to know why, there are three questions worth asking rather than accepting a general reassurance.
Is this product certified by any programme, and if so which. Is certification at batch level or by periodic sampling. And what does your independent testing actually cover, naming the substances rather than saying tested for purity.
A manufacturer who answers those precisely is being straight with you, whatever the answers are. Futuro Labs is not certified by any programme, tests independently for purity and contaminants, and manufactures in the UK to GMP standards. Stating that plainly is worth more than a reassuring phrase, and a player who could be tested still needs a certified product.
Where to go next
- Informed Sport supplements for rugby playersWhat certification covers and how to check a batch.
- How to check whether a supplement is batch testedThe step by step version.
- Banned substances and batch testingStrict liability and how contamination happens.
The product
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is the 300mg elemental one at 22p a day, independently lab tested for purity and UK made. It is not certified by any programme, so a player who could be tested should choose one that is.
- 300mg elemental magnesium, 80% NRV
- Bisglycinate, best tolerated common form
- UK made to GMP, lab tested for purity
- Not batch certified for sport
Sharper Rugby is published by Futuro Labs. If you buy through this link Futuro Labs earns from the sale. Prices are set by Amazon.
Questions players ask
What is the difference between the programmes?
Mainly testing frequency and whether every batch is screened or samples are drawn from retail.
Which should a tested player use?
Batch level certification, because it covers the specific tub rather than the product line.
Do any guarantee a product is clean?
No. All reduce risk substantially and none eliminates it, because screening has detection limits.
Does certification mean the product works?
No. It says nothing about dose, effectiveness or whether the claims are authorised.
Why are small brands often uncertified?
Cost. Batch level screening recurs on every production run and is a large share of a small brand's margin.
Are Futuro Labs products certified?
No. They are lab tested for purity and UK made to GMP standards, and not certified by any programme.