How to identify fake supplements in India

Bodybuilding and fitness is getting popular rapidly in India due to which business of Bodybuilding/Fitness supplements (e.g. Protein powder, Mass gainers, pre-workouts etc.) has became a very profitable business in very less time

For making extra profit out of it, fake supplement distributors floated fake supplements in Indian market. Currently approx 60%-70% bodybuilding supplements in market are fake or coming from Grey Market and unfortunately it is very hard to identify supplements without having knowledge about it.

In this article and video, we are sharing 10 simple points so that you can easily identify fake bodybuilding supplements. We will also discuss about the possible solution for this fake bodybuilding supplement problem.

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10 easy ways/steps/tips, how to identify fake supplements in India:

1. Be alert while purchasing popular brand’s supplements

More the supplement is popular or in demand there are more chances that supplement will be fake because fake supplement distributor generally make fake supplements of brands which are very popular or more in demand. So, always be alert while purchasing popular or in demand supplements.

Note: Some of the major popular brands are ON – Optimum Nutrition, MuscleTech, Muscle Tech, Muscle Pharm – MP, BSN, EAS, Ultimate Nutrition, Dymatize, Universal, Arnold’s Series, Nature’s Best, Ronnie Coleman Signature Series, Weider, Nutrex, Muscle Blaze, MuscleBlaze, Scivation, Labrada etc.

2. Always check the distributor logo on supplement container

There are only few importers who have license to import supplements in India. And when they import supplements they paste their stickers with information like import date, mfg. date, expiry date, rate etc. on supplement containers as genuineness declaration.

So, whenever you go for buying a supplement always check that:

• Supplement container must always have licensed supplement importer’s sticker and the same should not be tampered.
• Not all supplement importers import all the supplements. There are different supplement importers or common supplement importers for different supplements. So, whenever you go for buying a supplement, first find out who all supplement imports have licence to import that in India (please visit this link for List of licensed supplement importers in India) and check whether the supplement container have the sticker of one of the authorized supplement importer or not. This is most simplest way to identify the fake supplement.

3. Check lot no., mfg. date, expiry date for genuineness of supplement

Majorly all the supplement companies print information like lot no., mfg. date, expiry date etc. on neck or bottom of the container. So, to identify fake supplements you can check it by

• Matching Mfg. date printed on supplement container with the mfg. date given on Importer’s sticker or
• Send a query via mail (with lot no., mfg. date, expiry date) to the supplement importer or to supplement company to confirm that you have purchased an original supplement or not.

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4. Check the quality of packaging and labeling

International supplement companies pay extra attention on quality of packaging & labeling but fake supplement makers don’t do such quality check on packaging and labeling and generally make mistakes. So, whenever you purchase a supplement have a glance over following things to identify fake supplements

• Check the supplement company’s logo, 
• Check that TM is there or not,
• Look keenly for any Spelling mistakes ya Grammatical mistakes and
• Quality of printed labels

5. check the protection Seal

All supplement companies use different style of seals to lock the container lid. So, before buying any supplement check its current seal style on internet and match it while purchasing the supplement. There are couple of things which you should keep in mind other than this are:

• Never buy a supplement which don’t have seal on lid or its broken
• Check the seal’s quality too and in case you find any issue with seal’s quality refuse to buy that.

6. Check the Barcode on supplement container

To identify fake supplements or original supplement, you can scan the barcode given on supplement container with any barcode reader application available for your phone and check the same with the Supplement company’s website. Additionally, never ever buy a supplement in case its barcode is tampered.

7. Check the supplement’s inner seal

After opening the Supplement’s lid always check the quality of seal on containers’s top. In case it’s not well pasted or roughly pasted then there are bright chances that its fake.

Apart from that some companies use their logo or name on inner seal so, just check the internet once to know what kind of print they are using for inner seal and match it once you open the supplement’s lid to identify fake supplements.

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8. Mixability.

All supplement have different mixability. Some times high quality supplements have bad quality of mixability. So, there are following 2 ways to identify fake supplements:

• If you already used the supplement you have purchased and know about the mixability of the supplement and you are not getting the same result with the supplement you have purchased then there are chances that the supplement you have purchased is fake and
• In case you never used the supplement you have purchased then check and read the user reviews on internet about the mixability of the supplement  and if you are not getting the same result as mentioned in reviews with the supplement you have purchased then there are chances that the supplement you have purchased is fake.

9. Taste.

• Just like mixability, if you already used the supplement you have purchased and know about the taste of the supplement and you are not getting different taste with the supplement you have purchased then there are chances that the supplement you have purchased is fake and
• In case you never used the supplement you have purchased then check and read the user reviews on internet about the taste of the supplement  and if you are not getting the same taste as mentioned in reviews with the supplement you have purchased then there are chances that the supplement you have purchased is fake.
• One more important thing is that mostly fake supplements comes in either chocolate or strawberry flavors so better to use/try other flavors as a precaution.

10. Ingredients

Fake supplements makers use cheap ingredients which are dangerous for ones health.

Generally fake supplements makers use cheap steroids or mix soy powder in supplements. So, in case you feel awsum results suddenly after the consumption of supplement or feel sudden muscle loss then in both the scenerios there are bright chances that you are having a fake supplement.

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Possible solutions for this issue:

1. Always take bill for your supplement
2. Always purchase supplement from genuine and trusted shops or dealers.
3. Generally we take advice/guidance from gym instructors or gym owners about which supplements we should have. And more often gym instructors or coaches suggest some supplements and promise to make it available at cheaper rates. These are usually fake products from grey market. Be cautious if your trainer or gym owner is trying hard to convince you to buy a particular brand of protein supplement. In this situation you can take following steps:
   • Identify fake supplements
   • In case you purchase the supplement from your gym owner, instructor or coach then always ask for a bill.

Friends, detecting or identifying fake supplements is very difficult but I am sure that aforesaid pointer and steps will help you to identify fake supplements and escape you from any fraud related to fake supplements.

Note: The aim of this article is not to create fear in your mind but to educate you to choose supplement wisely

Stay safe… Stay fit… and let the Fitness Rock

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