#inside labdoor

San Francisco, CA – November 7, 2013 – Today, LabDoor released its data and ratings on 50 best-selling protein supplements. LabDoor reverse-engineers products to find out what's really inside, exposing inaccurate labels, contaminated products, and false claims. The FDA performs no pre-market regulation of protein supplements, leaving the responsibility of product safety testing to organizations like LabDoor.

Protein Supplement Winners and Losers:

LabDoor scored MET-Rx Protein Plus as #1-ranked in overall quality. BSN True-Mass ranked #50 in this category.

LabDoor scored Pure Protein 100% Natural Whey Protein as #1-ranked in value (efficacy/price). GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified Mass XXX ranked #50 in this category.

LabDoor’s quality ranking is based on five key factors – label accuracy, product purity, nutritional value, ingredient safety, and projected efficacy. (See: Understanding the LabDoor grades).

Other Key Findings:

There is no significant correlation between quality and price in protein supplements (n=50, r2=0.0016). LabDoor plans to publish a scientific paper on this study in late 2013.

Protein content (per serving) ranged from 11.3g to 61.9g. Price (per serving) ranged from $0.69 to $5.30.

63 different inactive ingredients and 147 different active ingredients were identified in at least one protein supplement analyzed.

The single most common ingredient in the protein supplements tested was sucralose (41/50), not whey protein (40/50).

All of LabDoor’s product testing is performed in FDA- and USDA-registered analytical chemistry laboratories. Research funding is provided through premium memberships purchased by consumers and angel investments from Mark Cuban, Rock Health, Band of Angels, and others.

In every drugstore aisle in America, shoppers cast the classic pose: two products in hand, confusion on their faces as they attempt to decipher the advertising claims and safety labels. It's an important decision, but it is so hard to be certain you're making the right call.