Balchem has conducted new research with Alkemist Labs, uncovering a quality issue in the US vitamin K2 supplement market. The analysis found that over two-thirds of vitamin K2 supplements purchased on one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in the US failed to meet label claims due to low quality or purity. The disparity in quality compromises consumer well-being, diminishes trust, and detracts from the credibility of the dietary supplements industry, revealing that consumers are not receiving the value they expect for their purchases.
Balchem is thus addressing the importance of accuracy, proof, and detailed ingredient information through this initiative, shedding light on the reality behind vitamin K2 label claims to promote transparency in this market.
The truth behind the label
In line with the company’s commitment to raising standards across the market, Balchem contracted with Alkemist Labs to test 38 vitamin K2 products in various formats and formulations. Among the 38 vitamin K2 supplements procured and subjected to rigorous testing, 71% fell short of the established quality benchmarks concerning K2 MK-7 content or isomeric purity.
The problem lies at the ingredient level, with a high proportion of vitamin K2 products not meeting their label claims due to excessive cis isomer content. These isomers are not as biologically effective as all-trans MK-7 vitamin K2 and result in products with low isomeric purity.
In addition, some multi-vitamin or combination K2-plus-mineral formulations use unprotected forms of vitamin K2, which degrade rapidly when combined with other minerals and vitamins. Hence, out of 38 vitamin K2 supplements analysed, only 29% met MK-7 content and isomeric purity standards. The quality gap jeopardises consumer health by exposing them to the risk of investing in ineffective solutions, eroding trust and credibility within the dietary supplements industry.
“This journey towards transparency started in 2018, when we tested for assay and purity of vitamin K2 products in Germany, and the results were shocking. To address this, we contacted manufacturers to inform them of our findings and explore co-development opportunities to enable them to enhance their offering by incorporating all-trans MK-7 and meet label claims. As a result, numerous solutions available on one of the leading e-commerce platforms in Germany now feature the all-trans mark, assuring consumers of best-in-class K2. We aim to increase awareness about the unique specifications of vitamin K2, emphasising the necessity for the correct isomer, known as all-trans MK-7, as well as the importance of microencapsulation and proper protection in the presence of specific compounds such as minerals,” commented Dominik Mattern, VP science, business development and marketing Balchem Human Nutrition and Health.
“As leaders in the vitamin K2 industry, we believe we have a responsibility to meet and maintain benchmarks for quality and transparency. And we’re scrutinising our own ingredients too. We’ve signed up to the Alkemist Assured transparency program to ensure that our K2VITAL ingredients are third party verified to meet the highest quality standards. Through this programme, our K2VITAL MCC 1% and MCT 1% solutions are independently tested for assay and isomeric purity — a practice that started two years ago. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure consumers are given the high-quality, efficacious products they’re seeking.”
Setting new industry standards for vitamin K2
Responding to quality issues in the vitamin K2 market, Balchem has developed and tested its own vitamin K2 ingredients. Results reveal that its all-trans bioactive form of vitamin K2 MK-7, K2VITAL, offers typically 99.7% isomeric purity. Balchem’s vitamin K2 portfolio also includes K2VITAL DELTA, a double-microencapsulated vitamin K2 for combination with minerals, offering stability and many formulation possibilities. Analysis has demonstrated that after three months, all K2VITAL DELTA-plus-minerals products met label claim, compared to 8% of unprotected vitamin K2-plus-minerals products.1
Regulatory efforts, industry collaboration and consumer education are vital components in preventing and combating supplement label fraud. The collaboration with Alkemist Labs reaffirms Balchem’s commitment to providing a high standard of vitamin K2 health ingredients and emphasises the importance of using microencapsulated, all-trans vitamin K2 menaquinone-7 (MK-7) for stability, efficacy and bioavailability.
References
1 Kappa Bioscience unpublished study, Stability study: superiority confirmed in over 400 tests. The Kappa method: USP43 NF38 analysis of microencapsulated MK-7
