Standards
BSCG
BSCG (Banned Substances Control Group) is a certification program that tests supplements for banned drugs and contaminants, with a focus on athlete safety and drug testing risk.
BSCG is built around drug testing risk.
It is a certification program that screens supplements for banned substances and pharmaceutical contaminants, particularly those relevant to athletic competition and anti-doping standards.
While similar in purpose to other sport-focused certifications, BSCG places additional emphasis on detecting undeclared drugs and high-risk compounds.
At a high level, certification centers on three signals:
- Banned substance testing — screening against lists aligned with organizations such as WADA
- Drug contamination detection — identifying undeclared pharmaceuticals or adulterants
- Batch-level verification — repeated testing to reduce variability and ensure consistency
This is a detection-focused standard.
It prioritizes identifying what should not be present, rather than evaluating what should be.
A product can pass BSCG testing and still provide minimal nutritional value or poor formulation.
The certification reduces risk. It does not define quality.
See Also
NSF Certified for Sport is a certification program that tests supplements for banned substances and verifies label accuracy for use by athletes.
Informed Choice is a certification program that tests supplements for banned substances and verifies manufacturing quality for use in sport contexts.
cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) is a regulatory framework that defines how supplements must be manufactured to ensure consistency, quality control, and basic product safety.