Why we batch test the Precision Fuel & Hydration product range

Every year the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) publishes a list of substances that are prohibited for use in sport: WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, a ‘strict liability principle’ applies which means that athletes are entirely responsible for ANY substance found in their body, no matter how it got there. This means that even if a banned substance is ingested accidentally or unintentionally it can still result in sanctions or a ban being imposed if it shows up in the results of an anti-doping test.

Precision Fuel & Hydration work with a wide range of professional and elite athletes around the world and we've outlined how our products are tested to ensure they adhere to the WADA Anti-Doping code.

WADA and a cautionary tale

A memorable case of ‘inadvertent doping’ occurred at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City when British skier Alain Baxter was stripped of his bronze medal for testing positive for a stimulant.

Baxter had used a simple over-the-counter Vicks nasal spray for a stuffy nose in the days prior to his event, unaware that the US version of the product he’d purchased contained a substance on the WADA banned list.

Even though he was eventually found not-guilty of intentionally trying to cheat, he still had his Olympic medal taken away for good and has been cited as a cautionary tale to aspiring elite athletes ever since...

The substance that Baxter inhaled (methamphetamine) was actually a listed ingredient of the nasal spray he used so would have been shown on the packaging and in that regard a simple check of the label against the banned list at the time could, and probably should, have prevented it being used.

But, on numerous other occasions athletes have fallen foul when they've consumed substances or eaten foods that have been contaminated (either deliberately or accidentally) with substances not in their original ingredient lists but appeared on the banned list nonetheless.

With drug-testing becoming far more commonplace as each year goes by, even at an amateur level, all serious athletes are advised to take an active interest in what they’re eating and drinking in order to avoid any issues with doping control.

Why elite athletes trust Precision Fuel & Hydration products

Since the launch of Precision Fuel & Hydration in 2011, our products have been relied on by elite and professional athletes at the highest levels in a wide range of sports. As a result, we have always taken our obligations around product integrity and safety very seriously, especially as it relates to WADA’s anti-doping regulations.

At a basic level, all of our manufacturing partners are certified under globally recognised accreditation bodies (currently BRC and/or GMP standards) to ensure extremely high standards of production quality, safety and integrity.

In addition to carefully selecting our manufacturing partners, all of the products they make have always been (and always will be) independently batch tested prior to going on sale to provide the highest possible level of assurance that they do not contain any substances on the WADA banned list.

‘Batch-testing’ refers to the practice of sending small quantities of a product taken from random points within a single production run laboratory analysis to screen for a large number of key substances on the WADA list.

Athletes can be assured that every single product sold by Precision Fuel & Hydration in every country in the world has undergone batch testing before being released for sale.

In recent years a number of specific programmes and schemes have been set up around the world to help athletes identify supplements that have been rigorously tested vs those that have not.

Two of the most prominent of these are the Informed Sport and the NSF Certified for Sport programmes.

We work with both organisations in the UK and the USA to batch-test our products, as well as to audit our manufacturing partners and suppliers in some cases in order to increase the level of rigor and regularity with which our products are assessed.

How are the different Precision Fuel & Hydration product ranges tested?

The table below provides an overview of the manufacturing location and independent testing body for each product in the PF&H range.

Informed Sport

A large range of our products are listed on the Informed Sport website and carry the Informed Sport logo on the packaging. These products are produced in the UK and across Europe at facilities that have been audited by Informed Sport. Products from each batch produced are tested before they are released for sale.

Furthermore, ‘blind testing’ is carried out on these products from time to time as products are purchased directly from our website and they are tested to add further robustness to the process. Sample products from each batch tested are retained by Informed Sport that can be re-tested if necessary, ensuring an additional layer of security and accountability. This rigorous approach helps to maintain the integrity of our products and provides athletes with confidence that they are free from banned substances

NSF Certified for Sport

For all customers in the USA (and in certain Central/South American countries), our low-calorie effervescent tablet products in the PH 500, PH 1000 and PH 1500 strengths are tested by NSF Certified for Sport and carry the NSF logo on the packaging.

These are manufactured in the USA at a facility audited by the NSF and samples from every batch are tested before they are released for sale. In addition to batch testing, the label claims made on the packaging are tested annually by the NSF to ensure compliance with local labelling regulations

NB: PH 250 strength tablets for sale in the USA are manufactured in the EU, so are subject to batch testing process with Informed sport (not the NSF Certified for Sport programme).

LGC Group

Our PF Chew products are manufactured in a GMP-certified facility and independently tested by LGC before being released for sale. LGC is the same laboratory that tests all products for the Informed Sport programme.

While certification confirming the chews are free from banned substances is not available online, batch test certificates for these (and any other PF&H product) can be obtained by following the instructions below.

How to obtain a batch test certificate for Precision Fuel & Hydration products

If you would like to obtain batch test certificates for any Precision Fuel & Hydration product that you have purchased, please contact us on hello@precisionhydration.com.

Please include the product name (and strength variant if relevant), batch number and expiry date.

• These can be found on the bottom of the tubes of PH effervescent tablets, on the outer carton and individual packet of PH drink mixes, and on both the box and foil tray of Electrolyte Capsules
• You can find the necessary info on the outside packaging of the Precision Fuel products

A copy of the relevant batch certificate can be emailed to you in return.

Further Reading

• Whats the difference between PH packets, tubes and capsules?
• The ’S’ Word - Why is there sugar in the new Precision Hydration range?
• Why we put the 'relative sodium concentration' of our drinks on the front of the packet
• Different types of sports drink and when to use them