FAQ
VFP + Private Label
1. Manufacturing, Ingredients, Capsules, and Labels
Where are VFP+ supplements manufactured?
Our formulas are manufactured at our 136,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Orlando, FL. We are currently Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) registered by the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International).
Where do you source your ingredients?
That is completely dependent on what supplier has the best material. Searching for the best raw materials based on quality, purity, and research is one of our highest priorities.
Is everything in the capsule listed on the label?
Yes. Everything listed on the label is present in the capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. What you see is exactly what you get.
Are VFP+ supplements 3rd Party Tested?
VFP+ Supplements conducts testing on raw materials and finished products at various third-party labs. Testing typically outsourced to our third-party labs includes label claim verification (most vitamins, amino acids, most botanical extract constituents, and macronutrients), contaminant analysis (residual solvents, pesticides, aflatoxins, allergens), botanical identification, and dissolution for timed-release-tablets.
2. Allergens
Do your products contain common allergens?
Our formulas do not contain wheat, gluten, yeast, soy, animal, or dairy products. None of our formulas contain artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives.
Do your formulas contain fillers?
There are a few instances in which fillers are used. When they are, we use vegetable-based cellulose to fill a capsule that may have a very small amount of active ingredients.
What are your capsules made of?
We only use vegetable capsules. They are made from hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, a cellulose compound derived from wood pulp.
Do you use standardized herbal extracts?
We strive to provide the highest quality herbs and the best value. When they are available in the marketplace, and especially when they are deemed critical to the efficacy of a formula, we use standardized herbal extracts.
Have your bovine-sourced products been tested for mad cow disease?
Yes, we have been assured that our bovine-sourced formulas are very safe and do not pose any risk for mad cow disease.
3. Formula Use
Should I take my supplements with meals?
If there is a clear, science-based reason to take your supplement away from a meal, this will be indicated on the formula label directions or in the formula Doctor's Reference Sheet (DRS). If there is any remaining question, consult your healthcare practitioner.
Can I take your formulas if I am pregnant or lactating?
Many dietary ingredients have not been tested during pregnancy or lactation. It is always best to check the label cautions and consult your healthcare practitioner before using a dietary supplement of any kind while pregnant or lactating.
Are there any known drug-nutrient interactions with any of the products?
Indeed, there are known and possibly unknown interactions between some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications and some dietary supplements. The combination may enhance the drug's action and thus increase the risk of toxicity, or it can reduce the drug's action and decrease its benefit. A drug can also deplete certain nutrients, increasing the need for supplementation. The information supplied on our labels regarding specific interactions is limited. Our formulas are designed to be used only under medical supervision, so it is very important to consult your healthcare practitioner or pharmacist before combining prescription or OTC medications with any VFP+ supplements formula.
Thorne Supplement line
1. Manufacturing, Ingredients, Capsules, and Labels
Where are your Thorne supplements manufactured?
Thorne’s health and wellness solutions catalog comprises more than 200 unique formulas and products. About 95 percent are made on-site at Thorne’s state-of-the-art Summerville, South Carolina facility.
The rest are made under contract by select companies in the United States and Canada. Our outside contract manufacturers are held to the same standards as our Summerville facility, going through the same battery of tests that we require in-house. After being packaged by Thorne, many of these products are tested independently by NSF International.
Is Thorne regulated by the FDA?
Thorne is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Thorne must comply with the FDA's regulations for manufacturing and labeling our dietary supplement products. In addition, all of our product literature and our website content must comply with FDA regulations. The FDA also requires Thorne to label the presence of allergens and to respond properly to reported adverse events.
Are Thorne products certified organic?
Although many of the ingredients in Thorne products are organic, Thorne products themselves are not certified as organic.
2. Allergens
Are Thorne's nutritional supplement products hypoallergenic?
Thorne strives to purchase the highest quality ingredients, and we don't use ingredients that contain hidden allergens.
Are Thorne’s products certified non-GMO?
Thorne has a longstanding policy to not use genetically modified ingredients (GMO) in our products. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, every Thorne product is GMO-free, even though we don’t label our products as being non-GMO. The reason we don’t label our products as non-GMO is because there are no current tests that can be performed to confirm an ingredient’s non-GMO status. Currently, an ingredient’s non-GMO status can only be affirmed by a supplier affidavit, and Thorne has chosen to wait for the time we can use scientific methods to confirm every ingredient’s non-GMO status.
Are your products food based or synthetic?
Although the ingredients in Thorne's nutritional supplement products are not derived from whole foods, many are derived from natural sources. Some ingredients are fermented, and some are synthesized, and we select every ingredient for being in its most absorbable and usable form. These synthetic nutrients are bio-identical and used by the body in the same way as naturally derived ingredients – whether natural or synthetic – and every ingredient is tested to ensure it meets its specifications for identity, purity, and potency.
Does Thorne use fillers?
Most nutritional supplements contain excipients that contribute functional or structural properties, such as fillers, binders, and lubricants. At Thorne, we minimize the use of these “Other Ingredients,” and we refuse to include unnecessary excipients that can interfere with dissolution or absorption or otherwise detract from the product's optimal use. Every ingredient in a Thorne product, including the “Other Ingredients,” are sourced from the purest sources possible. Each ingredient is scrutinized, and preference is given to ingredients free of contaminants and minimizing allergens. Thorne believes in total label transparency. That means there are no hidden inactive ingredients. Every ingredient in a Thorne product, whether active or inactive, is listed on the product label.
Are your probiotic products stable?
Yes. Thorne's probiotic products are stable and do not require refrigeration. Thorne periodically tests retained samples of each probiotic product throughout the product's shelf life to ensure the products remain stable and meet label claims at the expiration date.
3. Formula Use
Why does a Thorne product sometimes change color?
Color variance is normal for some products, especially those with botanical ingredients. One reason for the color variance is that Thorne does not use unnecessary fillers that are typically used to keep products uniform in appearance. So for a natural ingredient, color variance is not uncommon depending on the time of year it was grown and harvested; for example, a botanical ingredient can be bright yellow in one lot and pale yellow in the next. Color changes can also occur due to changing the product's formula or the raw material supplier. However, if you are concerned about a product's color or appearance, please contact us.
Do Thorne supplements really work?
You can read an in-depth explanation of Thorne's clinical partnerships, our supplement products' efficacy, and the importance of conducting clinical trials.
Can I take Thorne supplements with my medications?
Many Thorne customers who take prescription or over-the-counter medications want to know if nutritional supplements can be taken at the same time. For medication/supplement interactions we know about, we note them on the product label and our website. However, there is always a possibility that you could have an individual reaction to taking a particular medication and a particular nutritional supplement simultaneously. Therefore, we always advise that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner – preferably the one who prescribed or recommended your medication – before you begin taking a nutritional supplement at the same time. If you are looking for a qualified healthcare professional who will discuss nutritional supplements with you, then Thorne has a wonderful resource, our Find a Professional webpage, to help you find one. You can also find a functional medicine practitioner through The Institute of Functional Medicine website or locate a licensed Naturopathic Doctor through the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
How soon before I feel something from my supplements?
Every individual is unique, and every ingredient has a different "mechanism of action" for how it works in the body. Some ingredients can provide a relatively fast result, such as pharmaGABA for managing stress or melatonin for promoting sleep. Other ingredients, such as those in Thorne’s multi-vitamin/mineral products, are for preventative health and general well-being, so an immediate response would not be expected. However, for many Thorne products, if you experience an overall sense of well-being, such as improved mood, and that is the specific indication of use for which you are taking the product, then you realize the intended benefit.
4. Miscellaneous
Can I use my HSA/FSA to pay for Thorne products?
Many HSA/FSA benefit coordinators have classified Thorne tests and select Thorne supplements as qualified medical expenses as those are defined by the IRS. The Thorne products currently eligible for HSA/FSA reimbursement include: all of Thorne’s health tests, Basic Prenatal, Glucosamine & Chondroitin, and Glucosamine Sulfate. After making a purchase, you can access your itemized receipt by logging into your Thorne account, going to “Orders,” and then clicking on “Details.” Your order confirmation email is also considered an itemized receipt, so you can submit the receipt for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
Please note that some HSA/FSA benefits coordinators might incorrectly deny reimbursement. Before purchasing one of the above products, you should consider checking with your benefits coordinator first to determine if your purchases will be covered/reimbursed. If you need help locating your itemized receipt for your test kit or supplement, please email support@thorne.com.
What if I need to change my order after I have already placed it?
We do our best to process your order as quickly as possible, so changing an order that has already been placed is not always possible. However, you can email us at support@thorne.com with your order number and the change you are requesting, and we will do our best to make the change. If the order is time sensitive, then call our Customer Service Department at 800-228-1966. If we cannot adjust your order, we will notify you.