| Quality baseline 50 → 71 Adequate |
| +14 | Verified NSF/ANSI 455-2 GMP facility certification across the NHS U.S. Solgar, Nature's Bounty, Puritan's Pride, Rexall Sundown manufacturing network. The NSF listing is current in the captured record and includes multiple U.S. facilities, including Leonia, NJ, Bohemia, NY, Bayport, NY, Prescott, AZ, Boca Raton, FL, Holbrook, NY, and San Antonio, TX. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for NSF facility certification. Awarding +14 because the certification is official, broad across the manufacturing network, and current, but it is facility GMP certification rather than USP Verified finished products or NSF Certified for Sport finished products. 1 Current listing reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +6 | Solgar discloses in-house manufacturing and quality infrastructure, including small-batch manufacturing, USP water filtration, HEPA air filtration, and avoidance of artificial ingredients or fillers. Rubric supports +3 to +6 for in-house lab or manufacturing quality systems. Awarding +6 because this is a consistent official claim across Solgar and Nestle Health Science pages, but it is not the same as public batch test results. 2, 4 Current official pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +4 | Independent product-level testing signal from ConsumerLab. ConsumerLab states that 18 Solgar products were tested and reviewed, but the public page hides the number approved and top picks behind a membership gate. Rubric range is +8 to +12 for disclosed third-party independent testing. Awarding +4 because this is credible independent testing, but it is limited product-level coverage and not a Solgar-run public testing program. 10 Current ConsumerLab page reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +3 | Contaminant-control disclosure for omega-3 products. Solgar states its Triple Strength Omega-3 uses small fish, distillation, and contaminant removal, while Target's product page states the product is molecularly distilled to remove mercury and other harmful contaminants. Rubric range is +3 to +6 for heavy-metal testing or contaminant disclosure. Awarding +3 because this is product-family specific and not batch-level public testing. 11, 12 Current product pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| −6 | Historical serious contamination incident. In 2014, Solgar voluntarily recalled ABC Dophilus Powder after CDC testing found Rhizopus oryzae in product containers, and CDC described a fatal premature-infant case associated with the contaminated lot. Rubric range is -20 to -30 for contamination incidents. Selected full value -24 for severity, then applied 25% temporal weight because the incident is more than 10 years old: -24 x 25% = -6. 26, 27, 28 2014 incident, more than 10 years old as of July 2026 · 25% weight |
| — | Not scored No public batch COA portal, batch lookup system, finished-product USP Verification for Solgar, or NSF Certified for Sport Solgar finished product was verified in the reviewed sources. FDA inspection data are also limited by the FDA dashboard's own disclosure caveats.[^7][^8][^9][^32] |
| Formulation baseline 50 → 85 Strong |
| +12 | Effective dosing in sampled current products. Reviewed 9 representative Solgar products or product families: Vitamin D3 5000 IU, Magnesium Glycinate 120 mg capsules, Chelated Magnesium with patented Albion chelate, Gentle Iron iron bisglycinate, VM-2000, Triple Strength Omega-3, Joint Ease, Calcium Citrate with D3, and VM-75. Seven of nine had plausible effective dosing, clinically used forms, or clinically positioned ingredient systems. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for effective doses in a majority of the line. Pattern calculation: 7 of 9 sampled products = 78% coverage, so award mid-high +12 rather than full +15. 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 24 Current product pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +8 | Premium and branded ingredient use across sampled products. Examples include Albion chelated minerals in magnesium, Gentle Iron, and VM-2000, TamaFlex and Rhuleave-K in Joint Ease, and NIAGEN NR plus Mitopure Urolithin A in the Cellular Nutrition line. Rubric range is +5 to +8 for branded premium ingredients. Awarding +8 because branded ingredients appear across multiple premium-positioned products rather than a single token SKU. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Current product and ingredient pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +8 | Bioavailability and delivery technologies. Solgar uses chelated minerals, iron bisglycinate, molecularly distilled fish oils, and branded cellular-health ingredients with published human-research positioning. Rubric range is +8 to +12 for bioavailability technology. Awarding +8 because the evidence is meaningful but not uniformly applied across the entire catalog. 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 Current product pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +6 | Ingredient-level clinical substantiation in selected newer products. Joint Ease cites a double-blind placebo-controlled TamaFlex trial, the ingredient supplier says TamaFlex is validated in three randomized double-blind placebo-controlled human studies, and Solgar Cellular Nutrition cites RCTs for NR and urolithin A. Rubric range is +5 to +8 for researched synergistic combinations, and +7 to +10 for proprietary formulations with research. Awarding +6 because evidence is ingredient-level and product-family specific, not clinical trials on the finished Solgar products themselves. 16, 17, 19, 20 Current claims and 2023 to 2024 launches, full weight · full weight |
| +4 | Mostly clear active-ingredient labeling in sampled products. The sampled basic products and premium products disclose actives, forms, and serving directions rather than hiding core actives behind broad proprietary blends. Rubric range is +5 to +7 for no proprietary blends, but awarding +4 because this was a sampled review and the full catalog was not exhaustively audited. 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22 Current product pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| −3 | Narrow claims-substantiation concern for menopause marketing. Truth in Advertising sent Solgar and Nestle Health Science an October 7, 2024 letter alleging that Solgar's Menopause Relief marketing included symptom-relief claims without the level of substantiation or FDA approval required for treatment claims. This is an advocacy allegation, not an FDA or FTC enforcement finding. Rubric range is -8 to -12 for claims without evidence. Pattern calculation: limited to one product category in a broad catalog, applying 30% of a -10 concern = -3. 33 October 2024, within last 2 years · full weight |
| — | Not scored The review sampled representative products rather than every SKU. Finished-product clinical trials on Solgar-branded products were not verified, and some Supplement Facts panels on Solgar's site are difficult to extract completely from the public page rendering. |
| Transparency baseline 50 → 76 Adequate |
| +10 | Ownership is clearly disclosed. Solgar is presented as a Nestle Health Science brand, and third-party business reporting documents Nestle's 2021 acquisition of Bountiful brands including Solgar for $5.75 billion. Rubric range is +8 to +12 for ownership fully disclosed. Awarding +10 because parent ownership is easy to verify, though the 2025 strategic review adds some portfolio uncertainty. 4, 5, 6 Current ownership page and 2021 to 2025 business reporting · full weight |
| +8 | Manufacturing location and contact transparency. Solgar lists its Leonia, NJ address and contact channels, and the NSF listing gives multiple manufacturing-facility locations under the NHS U.S. Solgar and sister-brand network. Rubric range is +6 to +10 for manufacturing locations disclosed. Awarding +8 because facility addresses are verifiable, though product-by-product facility assignment is not public. 1, 3 Current pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +5 | Partial ingredient sourcing disclosure. Solgar's fish oil page states fish are sourced from FAO-approved fishing zones and lists small cold-water fish species, while the brand broadly states ingredients come from around the world. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for ingredient sourcing disclosed. Awarding +5 because sourcing detail is useful for omega-3s but not a full supply-chain disclosure across the catalog. 11, 37 Current product and Trustpilot company information reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +4 | Clear labeling and accessible product pages. Product pages reviewed show serving directions, allergen or dietary suitability badges, warnings, and inactive ingredients for many products. Rubric range is +3 to +5 for clear labeling. Awarding +4 because labels are generally clear, but some pages do not expose all amounts cleanly in web text extraction. 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22 Current product pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +2 | Customer contact paths include a dedicated quality inquiry category. Solgar's contact form includes 'Quality' and 'Complaint' options. Rubric range is +5 to +8 for responsive inquiries, but no response-time test was performed, so only +2 is awarded for the existence of the pathway. 3 Current page reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| −3 | Narrow claim-transparency concern from the 2024 TINA letter. TINA alleged Solgar Menopause Relief marketing included symptom-treatment claims lacking adequate substantiation or FDA approval. This is not an agency finding, but it is a current transparency concern about how claims are framed. Rubric range is -10 to -15 for claims that cannot be verified. Pattern calculation: limited category, not catalog-wide, 30% of -10 = -3. 33 October 2024, within last 2 years · full weight |
| — | Not scored No direct customer-service COA request was performed for this score. No product-by-product facility assignment, batch COA portal, full supplier map, or comprehensive country-of-origin matrix was found in the reviewed public sources. |
| Safety baseline 90 → 75 Adequate |
| −10 | 2014 fatal contamination incident involving ABC Dophilus Powder. CDC reported a fatal premature-infant gastrointestinal mucormycosis case and found Rhizopus oryzae contamination in unopened bottles from the same Solgar lot. This fits the rubric's highest severity consumer-harm category. Selected full penalty -40 for consumer harm with death, then applied 25% temporal weight because the incident is more than 10 years old: -40 x 25% = -10. 26, 27 2014 incident, more than 10 years old as of July 2026 · 25% weight |
| −5 | 2014 voluntary Class I recall for ABC Dophilus Powder. Solgar's recall notice stated the product was found to contain Rhizopus oryzae, distribution was suspended, and consumers were told not to consume it. Rubric range is -12 to -18 for serious voluntary recall. Selected -18 because it was Class I and involved a high-risk population, then applied 25% temporal weight: -18 x 25% = -5. 28 November 2014, more than 10 years old as of July 2026 · 25% weight |
| −3 | 2001 suspected salmonella recall of Digestive Aid 100 Tablets. SupplySide reported FDA announced a recall of more than 750 bottles and no illnesses had been reported. Rubric range is -5 to -10 for a minor voluntary recall handled without reported illness. Selected -10 for pathogen seriousness, then applied 25% temporal weight because it is more than 10 years old: -10 x 25% = -3. 29 April 2001, more than 10 years old as of July 2026 · 25% weight |
| +3 | Clean recent public record in reviewed sources. No newer Solgar-specific FDA recall or warning-letter event was verified in the sources reviewed after the 2014 incident. Rubric range is +3 to +6 for a clean 10-year record. Awarding +3, not full +6, because the older ABC Dophilus incident was severe and FDA dashboards have disclosure limitations. 31, 32 No newer Solgar-specific official action verified in reviewed sources through July 2026 · full weight |
| — | Not scored Court outcomes for historical private lawsuits were not fully verified in primary court records. FDA dashboard data have limitations, and a full FOIA-level inspection-history review was not performed. |
| Value baseline 50 → 80 Strong |
| +10 | Market-rate pricing across sampled key products. Vitamin Shoppe listed Solgar Triple Strength Omega-3 at $0.38 per serving, Magnesium Glycinate at $0.28 per serving, Vitamin D3 10000 IU at $0.17 per serving, Vitamin C at $0.17 per serving, and B-Complex 100 at $0.25 per serving. Solgar Vitamin D3 5000 IU was listed separately at $0.18 per serving. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for price matching quality well. Awarding +10 because prices are broadly fair for NSF GMP and premium forms, but not a bargain line. 21, 22 Retail prices reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +5 | Comparable value against professional-tier magnesium. Solgar Magnesium Glycinate at $0.28 per serving is close to Vitacost-listed Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate at $0.25 to $0.30 per serving and Thorne Magnesium Glycinate at $0.29 per serving. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for price matching quality. Awarding +5 as a category-specific value confirmation rather than a full line-wide adjustment. 21, 23 Retail prices reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +6 | Retailers show transparent per-serving pricing and auto-delivery savings. Vitamin Shoppe displays per-serving prices and a 15% auto-delivery savings option on Solgar listings. Rubric range is +6 to +10 for transparent pricing and +8 to +12 for good subscription value. Awarding +6 because pricing transparency is strong at major retailers, but the reviewed evidence is retailer-level rather than Solgar direct subscription terms. 21, 22 Current retailer pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +12 | Premium pricing is partly justified by quality and formulation signals. Solgar is not the cheapest brand, but NSF GMP certification, premium chelated forms, branded ingredients, and long-standing retail availability support a modest premium. Rubric range is +12 to +18 for premium justified by quality and certifications. Awarding +12 because the premium is justified in several categories, but lack of public COAs prevents higher value credit. 1, 13, 14, 16, 19, 21 Current evidence reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| −3 | Some specialty products are expensive per serving. Vitamin Shoppe listed Solgar No. 7 Joint Support at $0.90 per serving and Extra Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex at $1.04 per serving. Rubric range is -12 to -18 for overpriced products if 20% to 50% above market. Pattern calculation: this concern affected 2 of 10 sampled retail examples, or 20%, and specialty formulas often cost more. Applying limited penalty of -3. 21 Retail prices reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| — | Not scored Pricing was sampled from major U.S. retail pages and can change with promotions, pack sizes, third-party sellers, and subscription discounts. A full cost-per-effective-dose audit across the entire catalog was not performed. |
| Sentiment baseline 60 → 72 Adequate |
| +6 | Large positive product-review signal for selected high-volume products. iHerb listed Solgar Vitamin D3 5000 IU at 4.9 based on 5,458 ratings, while Amazon search results showed substantial recent purchase volume for multiple Solgar D3 products. Rubric range is +8 to +12 for strong Amazon or retail ratings. Awarding +6 because this is strong for selected products but not a catalog-wide review audit. 24, 25 Current retailer pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +5 | UK Trustpilot has meaningful review volume and recent positive product snippets. The UK profile is claimed, shows 618 reviews, and includes recent comments praising products and delivery, though Trustpilot also states it does not fact-check review claims. Rubric range is +10 to +15 for Trustpilot 4.5+ with 200+ reviews, but the captured page did not expose a clear star score. Awarding +5 for volume and mixed-positive signal rather than full high-rating credit. 37 Current Trustpilot page reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| −3 | US Trustpilot is weak but very low volume. The U.S. Solgar profile shows a 2.4 Poor TrustScore from only 6 reviews and says the company has not invited customers, so reviews may not be representative. Rubric range is -12 to -18 for Trustpilot below 3 stars, scaled down sharply for low sample size. Pattern calculation: 6 reviews is too thin for a broad brand conclusion, applying -3. 36 Current Trustpilot page reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +0 | BBB profile is present but not accredited. The BBB search result identifies Solgar Vitamin and Herb in Leonia, NJ and says it is not BBB accredited. Rubric gives +8 to +12 for high BBB rating or -10 to -15 for poor BBB rating. No rating or complaint pattern was captured in the accessible page text, so no rating-based adjustment is applied. Awarding 0 would be below adjustment threshold, so this appears as a notable mention rather than an adjustment. 38 BBB page reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| +4 | Legacy brand and broad retail presence. Solgar has operated since 1947 and is sold through many health-food stores, independent retailers, pharmacies, and major supplement retailers. Rubric range is +8 to +12 for community favorite in a niche or +12 to +18 for authentic community endorsement. Awarding +4 because legacy retail familiarity is real, but Reddit-style grassroots 'go-to' status was not verified in accessible search results. 2, 21, 40 Current pages reviewed July 2026 · full weight |
| — | Not scored Reddit and forum evidence was sparse in accessible search results. BBB page text was not fully available through the capture, and Trustpilot ratings can be skewed by self-selection and review-invitation practices. |