Quality Certifications Explained

Why certifications matter for supplements

Food supplements are regulated as food products, not medicines. This means the manufacturer's own quality systems — and the independent audits that verify them — are your primary assurance of product quality. Certifications are the visible evidence that an independent expert has inspected the facility and verified the processes. Without them, quality claims are just words on a label.

Certification is also the difference between a company that says it works carefully and a company that can prove it. A certificate is issued by an accredited certification body, not by the manufacturer itself — that independence is the entire point.

FSSC 22000 — Food Safety System Certification

FSSC 22000 is one of the highest international standards for food safety management. It combines ISO 22000:2018 (management system requirements) with ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 (specific prerequisites for food manufacturing). It is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which means major food retailers and manufacturers around the world accept it as evidence of a robust food safety system.

Nutri-Leaf's manufacturer, BHI Biohealth International GmbH, holds FSSC 22000 Certificate No. FSS-00263/0, audited by Quality Austria Certification GmbH, Vienna. The audit covers the full food chain category CIV — manufacturing of food supplements — and the certificate is valid until 17 January 2027.

What an FSSC 22000 audit actually checks

• Hazard analysis at every production step — from incoming raw materials to finished capsules, every step is assessed for physical, chemical and biological risks.
• Traceability — every batch can be traced from the raw material supplier to the finished product, and back.
• Documented management system — food safety processes are written down, maintained and followed, not improvised.
• Independent, recurring audits — the certification body audits the facility annually; certification is not a one-time inspection.

What certifications do NOT cover

Certifications verify how a product is made — not what the label promises. Nutrient-function claims ("contributes to the normal function of the immune system", for example) are regulated separately by EU food law: a claim may only appear on a label if it is authorised under Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. A certified facility can still make no claim at all about a nutrient's effect unless the law allows it. When you read a Nutri-Leaf label, every claim you see is the exact wording authorised by the EU register — which is why some of our product pages say less than competitors' pages do.

How to verify a certification yourself

1. Note the certificate number. A real certificate carries a unique number — ours is FSS-00263/0.
2. Note the certification body. Certificates are issued by independent bodies (Quality Austria Certification GmbH, in our case), never by the manufacturer itself.
3. Ask for a copy. Any reputable manufacturer will provide a copy of the certificate on request. If the answer is evasive, treat the claim as unverified.
4. Check the scope. A certificate is issued for a specific scope — in our case food chain category CIV, food supplements. A certificate for a different product category says nothing about supplements.

Certification and your trust

Certification is a snapshot of continuous systems, not a one-off event. The value lies in what happens between audits: the documented processes, the batch testing, the traceability that runs every single day. We publish the certification facts we can stand behind — and nothing else. For a deeper look at how our quality system works in practice, read Quality Control at Nutri-Leaf and Our Manufacturing Process.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.