Amazon’s New Supplement Testing Requirements: What Brands Need to Know in 2026
If you sell dietary supplements on Amazon, or plan to, the compliance landscape has changed.
What used to be a documentation exercise is now a third-party verification process. And for brands that are unprepared, that shift can mean suppressed listings, frozen inventory, or sudden removal from the marketplace.
Amazon is no longer simply asking sellers to upload Certificates of Analysis (COAs). It now requires supplements to be verified through approved third-party testing and inspection organizations. In short: self-attestation is out. Independent validation is in.
Here’s what that actually means and why it’s reshaping the supplement industry.
The Big Shift: Mandatory Third-Party Verification
Amazon now requires dietary supplements sold on its U.S. marketplace to go through an approved third-party Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) organization.
That means:
COAs cannot simply be uploaded by the seller.
Testing documentation must come from an Amazon-approved partner.
Verification often includes both finished product testing and facility compliance review.
Approved TIC organizations include major global testing bodies such as NSF, UL, Eurofins, SGS, and Certified Laboratories — among others listed in Amazon’s internal compliance dashboard.
This policy initially focused on high-risk categories like weight loss, sports nutrition, and sexual enhancement. But it has expanded significantly and now applies broadly across dietary supplements.
For many brands, this is a major operational shift.
cGMP Compliance Is No Longer Assumed
Most supplement brands claim they manufacture in FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant facilities under 21 CFR Part 111.
But Amazon’s new requirements go further.
It increasingly expects third-party verification of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), not just an FDA registration number or internal audit.
Important distinction:
FDA registration ≠ FDA approval
Internal quality audits ≠ independent verification
Amazon wants documentation that can be validated through accredited external bodies.
For brands that relied solely on their contract manufacturer’s paperwork, this is a wake-up call. Supply chain documentation now needs to be audit-ready and Amazon-compliant.
Category-Specific Testing Is Expanding
Certain supplement categories face additional scrutiny.
For example:
Weight management
Sexual enhancement
Sports performance
Joint health
These categories may require additional screening for undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients or compliance with specific NSF/ANSI standards.
Why? Because these areas historically carry higher risk for adulteration, hidden drug ingredients, or aggressive claims.
Amazon is proactively reducing that risk and shifting the compliance burden to brands.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Non-compliance can result in:
Listing suppression
ASIN deactivation
Inventory holds
Account health warnings
Sellers are often given a limited window (commonly 60–90 days) to submit required verification once flagged in the compliance system.
For emerging brands heavily reliant on Amazon revenue, this can be financially destabilizing.
Why Amazon Is Doing This
This policy shift isn’t random.
The supplement industry has long struggled with:
Adulteration scandals
Undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients
Misleading claims
Inconsistent potency
Amazon is protecting itself from regulatory risk, consumer lawsuits, and reputational damage.
But it’s also doing something else:
It’s raising the compliance bar.
And in many ways, it’s creating a secondary quality gate beyond FDA enforcement.
What This Means for Supplement Brands
The new requirements force brands to rethink three core areas:
1. Testing Strategy
Testing can no longer be reactive. Brands must design their quality assurance strategy around:
Identity testing
Potency verification
Contaminant screening
Stability considerations
And those tests must align with what Amazon’s approved partners require.
2. Supply Chain Transparency
If your contract manufacturer cannot support third-party verification quickly and cleanly, you may face delays.
Brands should confirm:
cGMP audit status
Documentation accessibility
Lot traceability systems
Clear COA documentation pathways
3. Claims & Risk Profile
Higher-risk claims increase scrutiny.
If your label implies drug-like outcomes — especially in categories like hormone regulation, weight loss, or sexual performance — expect closer review.
Amazon’s testing enforcement and claims scrutiny are moving in parallel.
The Strategic Opportunity
While many brands see this as a burden, there is strategic upside.
Brands that already invest in:
Clinically relevant dosing
Robust testing
Third-party verification
Compliant claims strategy
… will be better positioned long-term.
In fact, Amazon’s policy shift may reduce low-quality competitors who previously relied on minimal oversight.
The result?
A marketplace that favors brands built on real quality systems, not just marketing.
The Bigger Picture
Amazon is no longer just a retail channel. It is functioning as a regulatory filter.
For supplement founders, that means compliance cannot be an afterthought added before launch. It must be built into:
Product development
Manufacturer selection
Testing budgets
Label claims strategy
Documentation systems
Brands that treat testing as a marketing afterthought will struggle.
Brands that treat it as infrastructure will scale.
Final Takeaway
Amazon’s updated supplement testing requirements signal a broader shift toward accountability.
Third-party verification is now central.
cGMP compliance must be demonstrable.
Documentation must be audit-ready.
For supplement founders, the question is no longer simply, “Can we launch?”
It’s, “Is our quality infrastructure strong enough to scale?”
The brands that build compliance into product development, not bolt it on at the end, will be the ones that stay listed, stay trusted, and stay competitive.
