California Gold Nutrition: iHerb's own brand, who makes it and how it's tested

Whose brand is California Gold Nutrition?

California Gold Nutrition (CGN) is iHerb’s own label, launched in 2013. The range covers vitamins, minerals, sports nutrition and groceries. It’s sold mainly on iHerb, but according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) it has also appeared on Amazon, Walmart and Target.

One thing sets it apart from the other brands in our review: the shop that sells it is also the one checking its quality.

Who makes California Gold Nutrition?

iHerb doesn’t say which factories make CGN. According to the retailer:

• products meet the FDA’s current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) rules;
• raw material suppliers and manufacturers are vetted before production;
• quality control has three stages: raw materials, manufacturer approval and testing of the finished product in the US.

The 2025 CPSC recall notice names iHerb LLC (Madre Labs) of Irvine, California, as the manufacturer.

What iTested is and how it differs from USP and NSF

iTested is iHerb’s testing programme for its own brands. Products with the badge are tested by independent labs accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. The labs check label accuracy, microbial contamination and heavy metals, and the results are published as iTested reports.

Published batch reports are a genuine plus. But a seller commissioning tests of its own products is less independent than USP or NSF.

Popular CGN products and their forms

CGN fish oil shows how to count a dose: each softgel has 300 mg EPA+DHA, so two give you 600 mg. See how to choose fish oil for more, and our creatine guide for training supplements.

The 2025 recall: packs with iron

In June 2025, iHerb recalled about 60,000 packs of three multivitamins in the US: Daily Prenatal Multi, Ultamins Women’s and Ultamins Women’s 50+. They contain iron, and the bottles and blister packs didn’t meet the federal child-resistant packaging standard. No injuries were reported. The problem was the packaging rather than the contents, but it matters: an iron overdose is dangerous for young children. If you have one of these bottles at home, keep it in a high cupboard and close the cap firmly after every dose.

California Gold Nutrition strengths and weak points

CGN covers most of the basics – vitamins, minerals, sports nutrition – with plain products such as triglyceride fish oil and creatine monohydrate. For some products you can open a lab report and see that your own batch was tested.

What’s missing:

• iTested is run by the seller, so it isn’t an independent seal;
• not every product has a report;
• iHerb doesn’t name the factories.

Who should take care

Not everyone needs a multivitamin with iron: take iron for a confirmed deficiency or on medical advice, and keep the bottle away from children. Discuss pregnancy supplements with your midwife or GP; in the UK, folic acid 400 mcg is advised before conception and up to week 12. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor before taking creatine. Check high-dose fish oil with your GP if you take anticoagulants.

How to choose California Gold Nutrition on iHerb

1. Decide on the form and dose with the nutrient guide, for example the best form of zinc.
2. Find the CGN product in that form and check for the iTested badge.
3. Open the report and match the lot number.
4. Compare the cost of a daily dose with other brands – our label guide shows how.
5. Check delivery to your country in our ordering guide.