Nutraceuticals (land-based ingredients)
Land-Based Nutraceuticals Certification
About the certification
Friend of the Earth offers a certification route for land-based nutraceutical ingredients and finished products. Assessment brings together the requirements applicable to the source material and the chain-of-custody controls connecting it to the product sold.
Whether you supply botanical ingredients or market a finished supplement, the scope identifies the products, ingredients and activities covered. The applicable source and traceability requirements are confirmed for your application.
What can be certified
Land-based ingredients and finished nutraceutical products can be submitted for assessment. Examples for scope review include cultivated botanical ingredients such as ashwagandha, plant extracts, ingredient powders and finished supplements in capsules, tablets, powders and sachets.
Eligibility depends on the ingredient’s origin, the applicable source requirements and the evidence connecting it to the finished product. Where certification covers a particular ingredient rather than the whole formulation, the approved wording must make that scope clear.
For bovine collagen ingredients and finished collagen products, explore our dedicated Bovine Collagen Certification page.
Who can apply
Ingredient suppliers, extract manufacturers, processors, supplement manufacturers, encapsulators, packing businesses, importers, exporters, distributors and end brands can enquire. Applications can include products manufactured or packed by contracted suppliers.
What the assessment covers
The source ingredient is reviewed against the relevant certification requirements. Plant ingredients may involve agricultural sourcing; animal-derived ingredients require the appropriate farming or product-specific route. The team confirms which requirements apply to the proposed material.
Each product and lot must be uniquely identifiable, so records can be matched to the material or finished product being assessed.
A documented traceability system must prevent mixing with non-certified products and support the identity of the products within the certification scope.
Records must identify the producer and the relevant certification audit reference, supporting verification of the product’s origin.
Employees maintaining the chain of custody receive training and refresher instruction at least annually. The organisation also checks the operation of its traceability system at least once a year.
A product recall or withdrawal procedure must be in place and tested at least annually.
Audits include tracing one or more finished-product lots from start to finish, using mass balances, invoices, delivery documents and other relevant evidence.
From ingredients to finished supplements
A supplier certificate is one part of the evidence. The assessment also needs to connect the material supplied with the ingredient processed and the product packed for sale. For an extract, blend or capsule, the agreed scope determines which ingredients and production stages are assessed.
For example, an ashwagandha capsule application can involve the botanical source, extraction, manufacture and final packing. These stages must be considered when defining the scope; the presence of a certified ingredient does not automatically certify the finished capsule.
Independent certification
An independent certification body assesses the agreed scope against the applicable requirements and makes the certification decision. The evidence reviewed depends on the applicant’s activities, including sourcing, processing, manufacturing and packing where relevant.
For a brand using a contract manufacturer, the application should identify the products and the businesses involved. Certification and permission to use the label must be confirmed for the brand’s proposed products.
How certification works
1. Apply: Tell us about your nutraceutical ingredients or finished products and the activities your business carries out.
2. Confirm scope and costs: Agree the products, ingredients and sites to be assessed, the applicable requirements and the quotation.
3. Complete the independent audit: Provide the sourcing, production and traceability evidence needed for the agreed assessment.
4. Address findings: Complete the corrections and corrective actions required following the audit.
5. Receive the certification decision: The certification body reviews the findings and decides whether certification can be issued.
6. Maintain certification: Continue meeting the requirements and complete the applicable follow-up and renewal activities.
Use of the Friend of the Earth label requires authorisation for the products concerned. Packaging and accompanying wording must follow the applicable label rules.
Certification fees
Request the applicable price list and a quotation for your nutraceutical products. The team will confirm charges for the proposed scope, including assessment, certification and label use, whether audit costs are included and which taxes apply.
Standards and supporting documents
Supporting documents
Check certification status
Check the named product or ingredient, approved scope and current certificate status. For a blended supplement, confirm whether the certification covers the finished product or a specified ingredient.
Frequently asked questions
You can submit cultivated ashwagandha ingredients or finished supplements for scope review. Eligibility depends on the source material and the applicable certification route. An application does not establish that the product is already certified.
Yes, these formats can be proposed for assessment. Identify the finished product and formulation so the team can confirm the ingredients, manufacturing activities and packing stages to include.
No. The finished product must be included within the appropriate certification scope. A supplier’s certification does not automatically cover your formulation or authorise your brand to use the label.
The team will review the formulation and confirm the proposed scope. Do not assume that certification of one ingredient covers the remaining ingredients or the whole product. Approved claims must identify what is covered.
Yes. Include the contract manufacturer and packing business in your enquiry. The team will confirm which activities and supporting records are needed for the assessment of your products.
This page is for businesses seeking certification of nutraceutical ingredients and finished products. Chain of custody addresses how materials retain their identity through the supply chain. The separate Traceability and Chain of Custody page explains those controls across product categories.
No. This certification concerns the applicable sourcing and traceability requirements. It does not establish clinical effectiveness, potency or health benefits. Health, nutrition and efficacy claims need their own appropriate evidence.
For bovine collagen, visit our dedicated Bovine Collagen Certification page. For marine collagen, fish oil or other marine ingredients, contact us about the relevant Friend of the Sea certification route.
Apply for certification
Tell us which land-based nutraceutical ingredients or finished supplements you would like to certify. Our team will help identify the applicable requirements and confirm the scope and next steps.
Submitting preliminary information does not commit you to proceeding with an audit.
