ConsumerLab.com

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American publisher of health data

title: "ConsumerLab.com" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["consumer-organizations-in-the-united-states", "product-testing-organizations", "consumer-guides"] description: "American publisher of health data" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConsumerLab.com" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American publisher of health data ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameConsumerLab.com
logo[[Image:ConsumerLabLogo.jpg
typePrivate
foundation
location_city333 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY
location_countryUnited States
key_peopleTod Cooperman, M.D. (President)

| | industry | Book Publisher (NAICS code 51130) | | services | Publisher of test results and guides for dietary supplement, brand licensing and advertising. | | homepage | | ::

| name = ConsumerLab.com | logo = [[Image:ConsumerLabLogo.jpg|alt=The phrase "ConsumerLab.com: Be Sure It's CL Approved" in a black and blue font, ConsumerLab.com's current corporate logo.]] | type = Private | foundation = | founder = | location_city = 333 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY | location_country = United States | key_people = Tod Cooperman, M.D. (President)

Mark Anderson, Ph.D. (VP of Research)

Lisa K. Sabin (VP of Business Development) | industry = Book Publisher (NAICS code 51130) | services = Publisher of test results and guides for dietary supplement, brand licensing and advertising. | num_employees = | revenue = | homepage = ConsumerLab.com, LLC. is a privately held American company registered in White Plains, NY. It is a publisher of test results on health, wellness, and nutrition products. Consumer Labs is not a laboratory, but contracts studies to outside testing laboratories. It purchases dietary supplement products and other consumer goods directly from public storefronts and online retailers, contracts for testing by private laboratories, and publishes reports based on the results. It primarily derives revenue from the sale of subscriptions to its online publications, which are paywalled. Other sources of revenue include a proprietary certification program, licensing fees, contents re-publication license fees, and advertising.

In 2000, ConsumerLab.com generated media attention when its testing of ginseng products revealed substantial pesticide contamination in many products. In 2008, they found 12 red yeast rice product samples to contain widely varying amounts of active ingredients and some included toxins. The testing was repeated in 2014 and 2018 with similar findings. In 2011, they found that two of three coconut water products contained less sodium and magnesium than claimed on the Nutrition Facts label. This spurred a class-action lawsuit against Vita Coco's manufacturer, All Market Inc., which was eventually settled for $10 million in 2012. In 2012, a ConsumerLab.com study reported that a tested sample of the energy drink 5-hour Energy contained about 207 mg of caffeine, which is substantially more than its advertised claim of "about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee," which the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states to be generally 80–100 mg.

History

ConsumerLab.com was founded in 1999 by Tod Cooperman M.D., a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Personnel

William Obermeyer helped found ConsumerLab.com and served as V.P. for Research until 2012. Obermeyer worked as a Natural Products Chemist testing dietary supplements within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), part of FDA, for nine years prior to joining ConsumerLab.com in 1999. As of 2007, Obermeyer worked as an advisor to the company.

The current V.P. for research is Mark L. Anderson, a pharmacologist/toxicologist who was previously Director of Research and Development at Triarco Industries, a manufacturer of ingredients for the food, beverage, and dietary supplement/nutraceutical industries.

Products and services

ConsumerLab.com reports that its main revenue is from online subscriptions. Other revenue-generating products include books, survey reports and the sale of licenses to publish its proprietary information.

Products to be tested are purchased directly from retail stores, online retailers, mail-order catalogs, or multi-level marketing companies. Products are not accepted from manufacturers, and are retested every few years. A 2004 Journal of the Medical Library Association review noted that "approximately half of the [laboratory test results] reports indicate the date the review was posted". For a fee, ConsumerLab.com offers a voluntary certification program. Products that pass the certification can use the "CL Seal of Approval" for which there is a licensing fee. Vendors of brand name products named in its reports can, for an advertising fee, be listed in a "Where to Buy" section which is clearly marked as advertising.

Research and Publications

In the analysis "A Multi-Year Heavy Metal Analysis of 72 Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Products in the USA," published in Frontiers in Nutrition (2024), researchers from ConsumerLab.com and George Washington University analyzed lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in cocoa products tested from 2014 to 2022. The research revealed that 43% of products exceeded California's Proposition 65 levels for Pb, and 35% for Cd, although 97.2% met less stringent US FDA standards for Pb. Products labeled as "organic" were more likely to have higher levels of both lead and cadmium. This underscores the need for vigilant heavy metal monitoring in cocoa products, especially those labeled organic, to ensure consumer safety.

Government and legal interactions

In January 2005, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a "trade association representing dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers," registered a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against ConsumerLab.com. It alleged the "entire business model" of ConsumerLab.com "represents an egregious form of consumer fraud and deception." CRN requested the FTC to require ConsumerLab.com to disclose all test results, identify the labs that perform its tests, and change its company name to avoid implying that it does its own testing. On 15 March 2005, the FTC stated: "staff is not recommending agency action at this time," and no subsequent action has occurred.

On 9 March 2006, Dr. Tod Cooperman spoke at a House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform hearing on the Regulation of Dietary Supplements. In his statement, he said the most common problem identified from their tests were "lack of ingredient in a supplement or a very poor quality ingredient in a supplement" (i.e., potency) and "contamination with lead and other heavy metals and pesticides" (i.e., adulteration). On 26 May 2010, Dr. Cooperman reported similar problems in a panel statement to a "Dietary Supplements: What Seniors Need To Know" hearing at the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

ConsumerLab.com filed suit against CRN alleging CRN's publication of its complaint letter to FTC was defamation, infliction of intentional harm, and six other causes. In May 2006, the New York Supreme Court dismissed this suit for failure to state a claim for all but the defamation allegation. The dispute was eventually settled and dismissed.

On 1 June 2017, Dr. Mark Anderson spoke at the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements Research Practicum.

Dietary supplement testing

ConsumerLab.com seeks to verify the accuracy of manufacturers' claims of supplement contents. ConsumerLab.com tries to communicate the testing methods, quality criteria/standards, and results in common, layman's terms. Consumer Labs is not a laboratory, but contracts studies to outside independent laboratories.

Notable findings

In 2000, ConsumerLab.com's testing of Ginseng products revealed substantial pesticide contamination in many products, creating significant media attention.

In 2008, ConsumerLab.com submitted 12 red yeast rice product samples to a third party testing lab and found the supplements contained widely varying amounts of active ingredients and some included toxins. The testing was repeated in 2014 and 2018 with similar findings.

In 2011, a ConsumerLab.com study found that two of three coconut water products, commonly promoted for hydration and electrolyte balance, contained less sodium and magnesium than claimed on the label. This spurred a class-action lawsuit against Vita Coco's manufacturer, All Market Inc., which was eventually settled for $10 million in 2012.

In 2012, a ConsumerLab.com study on energy drinks reported that a tested sample of 5-hour Energy contained about 207 mg of caffeine.

References

References

  1. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/sports/playmagazine/04play-supplement.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Give Us This Day Our Daily Supplements] ''New York Times'', 4 March 2007.
  2. "About ConsumerLab.com". Consumerlab.com.
  3. (February 7, 2011). "Perks of Five-Hour Energy Put to Test". [[CBS]].
  4. Hudson, William. (16 November 2012). "FDA investigates deaths preliminarily linked to energy shots". CNN.
  5. O'Connor, Clare. "What's In A Bottle Of 5-Hour Energy?". Forbes.
  6. Bauerlein, Valerie. (2011-06-02). "Bottlers of Buzz Wake Up to Find Seniors as Newest Customers". Wall Street Journal.
  7. Commissioner, Office of the. (2019-04-18). "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?". FDA.
  8. "About Us {{!}} ConsumerLab.com".
  9. "About PharmacyChecker.com".
  10. Newsmax TV. (2015-02-09). "MidPoint {{!}} Tod Cooperman, MD discusses the dangers involved with mislabeled supplements".
  11. "Private Company Tests Safety of Supplements". NPR.org.
  12. (2015-03-25). "Lead? Arsenic? Parasites? Many Herbal Supplements Tainted". Fox News.
  13. link. (2016-03-05)
  14. [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-anderson-ph-d/3b/175/b68 Mark Anderson, Ph.D] ''[[LinkedIn]]''. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  15. (2005). "ConsumerLab.com's "Guide to Buying Vitamins & Supplements: What's Really in the Bottle?". Journal of the National Medical Association.
  16. HEMPHILL, CLARA. (June 20, 2000). "Putting Dietary Supplements to the Test". New York Times.
  17. (2024). "A Multi-Year Heavy Metal Analysis of 72 Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Products in the USA". Frontiers in Nutrition.
  18. "About CRN {{!}} Council for Responsible Nutrition".
  19. (2005-01-13). "CRN Files FTC Complaint Against ConsumerLab.com". Natural Products INSIDER.
  20. [http://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2005-02-25/crn-asks-ftc-to-investigate-consumerlab-com/ Nutraceuticals World]
  21. Engle, Mary. (15 Mar 2002). "Re: Council for Responsible Nutrition's Complaint Against ConsumerLab.com, LLC".
  22. "House Hearing, 109th Congress - The Regulation of Dietary Supplements: A Review of Consumer Safeguards".
  23. (9 March 2006). "The Regulation of Dietary Supplements: A Review of Consumer Safeguards". U.S. Government Printing Office.
  24. (26 May 2010). "Testimony of Tod Cooperman, MD, President, ConsumerLab.com to Senate Special Committee on Aging - Subcommittee on Dietary Supplements". Tod Cooperman.
  25. link. (2012-12-12)
  26. (26 May 2010). "Kohl Calls For Better Labeling, Reduction of Contaminents in Dietary Supplements". United States Senate Special Committee On Aging.
  27. "United States Senate Special Committee on Aging".
  28. Harris, Gardiner. (26 May 2010). "Herbal Supplements Often Have Contaminants, Study Finds". The New York Times.
  29. {{cite court. (7 July 2007). link
  30. "Civil Action No. 06-1590 (RMC)". US Government Printing Office.
  31. Laurie, Budgar. "ConsumerLab, CRN call legal truce". Natural Foods Merchandiser.
  32. (6 August 2007). "Insurance for advertising injury covers claims of defamation under New York law {{!}} Lexology".
  33. "Office of Dietary Supplements - Mary Frances Picciano Dietary Supplement Research Practicum Presentation Videos".
  34. NIHOD. (2017-11-01). "Dietary Supplement Practicum (15 of 21): Meeting the Stakeholders--Meet the Watchdogs".
  35. NIHOD. (2017-11-01). "Dietary Supplement Practicum (16 of 21): Discussion with Industry & Watchdog Panels".
  36. Glassman, Nancy. (2004). "Electronic resource review: Consumerlab.com". Journal of the Medical Library Association.
  37. (2000-07-31). "Ginseng Surprise".
  38. (2006-01-06). "20/20: Warnings About Herbal Supplements".
  39. Taylor, David A.. "Getting to the Root of Ginseng". Smithsonian.
  40. (July 2001). "News Features: Herbs for health, but how safe are they?". Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
  41. (2010-10-26). "Cholesterol-Busting Herb: What're You Getting?".
  42. Harding, Anne. (9 July 2008). "Contamination common in red yeast rice products". Reuters.
  43. (2010-10-25). "Marked Variability of Monacolin Levels in Commercial Red Yeast Rice Products". Archives of Internal Medicine.
  44. "Red Yeast Rice Supplement Reviews and Information".
  45. O'Connor, Anahad. (8 August 2011). "Really? The Claim: For Better Hydration, Drink Coconut Water". New York Times.
  46. (1 September 2011). "ConsumerLab.com Tests Coconut Water Brands, Menopause Supplements". Nutraceuticals World.
  47. Esterl, Mike. (11 February 2012). "The Beverage Wars Move to Coconuts". The Wall Street Journal.
  48. (2011-08-04). "Coconut Water Not the Magic Hydration Bullet It's Claimed To Be: Study". HuffPost.
  49. "Vita Coco Will Pay $10M To Settle Suit Over 'Super-Hydrating' Coconut Water". Business Insider.
  50. Rovell, Darren. (2012-04-17). "Is Coconut Water Headed for a Boom or Bust?". CNBC.
  51. Esterl, Mike. (2012-02-11). "The Beverage Wars Move to Coconuts". Wall Street Journal.
  52. "Starbucks Coffee Company Beverage Nutrition Information".

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