Evira found that vitamin supplement companies have, for the most part, an adequate supervision mechanism over their production system.
The authority tested the supplement brands found by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland to be outside the permitted range. Only one failed the test this time.
That company's sample was 31 percent below its advertised vitamin D content. Their method was not the same as that employed by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland.
Vitamin supplement manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products contain the advertised amount of nutrients. They do not have to submit products for testing before they are released onto the market.
Vitamin D is produced naturally on contact with sunlight, but during the Finnish winter there is not enough sunshine to meet recommended daily requirements. Many Finns therefore take supplements, and health authorities recommend them for children. They also advise that those with dark skin should take higher doses for a longer period of time during the dark months of the year.
