The foundation’s president, Joey Savage, said the goal is to bring balance to a space often dominated by negative headlines.
“We decided that we were going to take an approach that had a bit more of an even hand,” he said. “Instead of doing some sort of ‘gotcha-style’ testing, we wanted to look at who’s the best and the brightest and also include some random brands.”
Savage added that the effort’s focus is to challenge perceptions: “It’s not as bad as they say it is in the media,” he told NutraIngredients.
Electrolytes under the microscope
The FNF’s first round of testing focused on electrolyte products, a category Savage said was chosen for its simplicity. Fifteen popular brands were analyzed using two independent labs, Omnient Labs and NJ Labs.
“We tested 15 electrolyte brands by independently buying product either through Amazon or directly from the manufacturer to reflect what consumers would receive in the marketplace and then submitting to two independent ISO 17025-accredited laboratories to be tested in triplicate,” said Matt Harrier, executive director, Future Nutra Foundation.
“Samples were not blinded; however, laboratories did not communicate results prior to issuance of final reports, and all data were transmitted directly in formal laboratory documentation. The majority of the brands met label claim and those out of compliance were contacted for improvement purposes.”
With two of the 15 tests revealing “egregious failures,” Savage said the results reinforced the idea that quality across the category is stronger than some critics might suggest.
He added that timing is critical, as consumer demand for clean labels and accountability continues to grow.
“Transparency is the trend,” he said. “If we don’t lean into that, these types of hit pieces are going to continue to paint us in a bad light.”
The Future Nutra Foundation provides its data free of charge, with no paywall. Savage said he views this as a public service—and a way to shift consumer behavior.
“You’re going to have consumers that suddenly know how things are tested and will be asking more of different brands,” he said. “This is a tide that raises all ships.”
Up next: THC and lion’s mane
Looking ahead, the foundation plans to test more complex and fast-growing categories, including cannabis beverages and lion’s mane supplements.
“There’s a lack of consensus as far as what the standards for testing should be,” Savage told NI.
The Future Nutra Innovation Summit
The conversation will continue at the upcoming Future Nutra Innovation Summit, slated for September 9-11 in Lake Conroe, TX. Designed as a hybrid between a traditional conference and an immersive experience, the summit will feature multiple educational tracks alongside “spontaneous networking.”
“We’ve got a lot of really interesting speakers… pushing policy, quality, regulatory things, innovation and sustainability,” Savage said.
He said FNF was going for “something fun,” noting a lakeside setting with built-in downtime to encourage networking and collaboration. “We’re expecting 750 to 1,000 people…to go enjoy some leisure time with people that you may not know but might be able to do business with.”
Beyond the Margaritaville Lake Resort setting, the summit reflects a broader ambition of bringing together the voices shaping what comes next.
“We’re trying to get an idea of what the future is actually going to look like,” Savage said, “and get the right people in the room… to craft that new narrative.”
As transparency gains momentum, the testing initiative and the summit signal a larger shift aimed at building trust and defining the next era of the natural products industry.