CRN addresses Consumer Reports prenatal vitamin tests

The association notes that testing method differences and voluntary USP benchmarks should be considered when evaluating prenatal vitamin potency findings.

, and CDR

August 20, 2026 . 3:09 PM

3 min read

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) is pushing back on some of the conclusions drawn from Consumer Reports’ recent testing of prenatal vitamins, while emphasizing that consumers should be able to trust the safety, quality and accuracy of dietary supplements.

Consumer Reports tested 17 prenatal supplements and found discrepancies between some nutrient levels and their labeled amounts. However, CRN noted that Consumer Reports found all 17 products safe to consume and that each met the publication’s safety limits for arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.

CRN said additional context is needed to evaluate the label discrepancies. Consumer Reports used U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) tolerance ranges as a benchmark, but those standards are voluntary for products that do not claim USP verification. According to CRN, falling outside those ranges does not necessarily mean a product violates Food and Drug Administration requirements or lacks appropriate quality controls.

The association also highlighted limitations in the testing, which examined one to three lots per product. Several manufacturers reported results from their own or independent testing that differed from those published by Consumer Reports.

CRN said that differences in analytical methods, nutrient forms, product formulations, and calculation methods can affect test results. Some vitamins may also contain scientifically justified “overages,” or amounts above the label claim, to ensure they maintain their labeled potency throughout their shelf life.

Dietary supplement manufacturers must comply with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices and ensure their products are safe and properly labeled, according to CRN.

“CRN supports rigorous, scientifically sound scrutiny of dietary supplements,” the association said. “But limited testing of 17 products, using in part voluntary benchmarks as the measurement, and sometimes producing results inconsistent with testing results of the manufacturers, should not be used to suggest that prenatal supplements broadly are unsafe or that the industry operates without meaningful oversight.”

CRN added that prenatal supplements play an important role in helping women meet increased nutritional needs before and during pregnancy and encouraged consumers to continue following their health care providers’ guidance.