Recent news stories on steroid use in sports continue to emphasize the importance of screening dietary supplements and sports nutrition products for banned substances.

NSF International, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting and improving public health, has launched a new online resource, www.nsfsport.com, that provides information to help consumers, athletes, and coaches choose safer, quality products. Additional information, such as recent news stories on doping in sports and educational resources, can also be found at www.nsfsport.com.

"We are pleased to see more user-friendly resources being placed in the hands of the public. The Clean Sport Initiative, which provides a forum for discussions on accidental doping will now have the support of value-added informational sites that provide consumers with the guidance they need when choosing nutritional supplements," said Liliana Begg, Manager, Clean Sport Initiative.

NSF's Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program certifies sports supplements that have met NSF's certification guidelines and provides key preventive measures to protect against adulteration of products, verify label claims with product contents, as well as identify any banned substances in the finished product. The certification program has been recommended by key athletic organizations, including Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Football League, the Professional Golf Association, the National Football League Players Association and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports.

Products that have been certified by NSF are listed on NSF's new Web site (www.nsfsport.com), as well as bear the NSF Certified for Sport(TM) Mark to demonstrate that they have met all program requirements, which include:

-- Toxicology review
-- Facility inspection/Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit
-- Annual laboratory testing/analysis
-- Product certification

"We're pleased to expand our online resources to offer additional services to meet clients' and consumers' increasing needs," said Edward Wyszumiala, General Manager of NSF's Dietary Supplement Programs. "As an independent, not-for-profit organization, one of NSF International's primary goals is education. Our free product listings and informational fact kits, provide consumers and athletes helpful information that they can use to make informed decisions when purchasing dietary supplements and other nutritional products."

To view the entire news release, please visit http://www.nsf.org/info/press/index.asp?p_id=16540