NOW Foods supplements: who makes them, how they're tested and what to choose

Who owns NOW Foods

Elwood Richard founded NOW Foods in Illinois in 1968. He had run a health food shop in Elmhurst since 1962. NOW’s first production space was about 4,500 sq ft inside another firm’s plant.

The founder died in 2017 and the company stayed in family hands. In 2026 NOW announced an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Today the brand sells more than 1,400 products – supplements, foods, sports nutrition and personal care – in over 70 countries.

How NOW makes and tests its products

According to the company, its manufacturing and quality control look like this:

• plants in Bloomingdale, Illinois, and Sparks, Nevada, plus a distribution centre in Roselle, Illinois;
• third-party GMP certification since 2000 (NPA, “A” rating), renewed through Eurofins in 2026;
• in-house analytical and microbiology labs accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 (A2LA, 2021);
• heavy metal testing by ICP-MS since 2007 and probiotic strain checks since 2016.

NOW is also known for testing other companies’ products. By April 2024 it had run 16 rounds of tests on little-known brands sold on Amazon. In December 2023, for example, it reported that dozens of berberine supplements fell short of their label claims.

Popular NOW products and their forms

For more on forms, see types of magnesium compared; for L-theanine, see our sleep supplements guide.

NOW vitamin D3: which strength to choose

NOW makes D3 in several strengths, and the highest exceeds the safe upper limit. The NHS advises 10 mcg (400 IU) a day in autumn and winter for everyone. The upper limit for long-term use is 100 mcg (4,000 IU). Our guide on how much vitamin D3 to take has the details.

Recalls and FDA letters

• 2004. A lot of American ginseng was found to contain the pesticide quintozene. In August NOW recalled all its American ginseng and promised to test every ginseng lot; the FDA’s warning letter followed in October.
• January 2024. Two lots of Phosphatidyl Serine Extra Strength 300 mg were recalled because some softgels contained less than claimed. ConsumerLab found the problem first; the cause was uneven mixing at a contract manufacturer.

Even a brand with its own plants has some products made elsewhere, as the second case shows. Only two lots were recalled, not all phosphatidyl serine, which is why it’s worth keeping the lot number until you finish the bottle.

NOW Foods strengths and weak points

NOW’s strengths are its own plants and labs with third-party GMP audits, and sheer choice. Many nutrients in the range come in several forms and strengths, so matching your dose is easy. Athletes get the NOW Sports range with Informed Sport.

The flip side of that breadth:

• some strengths exceed safe limits, such as D3 5,000 IU;
• some products come from contract manufacturers;
• not every product carries an independent seal, so each one needs checking.

Who should take care

Vitamin D above 4,000 IU should only be taken on medical advice with blood test monitoring. If you take warfarin, check with your GP before taking vitamin K2: it can weaken the drug’s effect. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, agree any supplement with your midwife or GP. Children’s doses depend on age; follow the label and your paediatrician.

How to choose NOW on iHerb

1. Choose the form using the nutrient guide, for example the best form of zinc.
2. Find the NOW product in that form and a suitable strength.
3. Compare the dose with the upper limit, counting food and any multivitamin.
4. Work out the cost per daily dose, as shown in our label guide.
5. If you’re drug-tested, check the product in the Informed Sport database.