Batch-Tested Supplements: Fuel Without Fear for Athletes

As many as one in ten supplements are contaminated with ingredients and compounds prohibited in sport, leading to 8 per cent of all anti-doping violations between 2015 and 2022 (Informed Sport, 2025c). For serious competitors, a single contaminated scoop can mean a ruined career, lost sponsorship and lasting reputational damage. That’s why understanding batch-tested programmes like HASTA and Informed Sport is essential for athletes who want to fuel their performance with confidence.

In this blog we’ll cover what batch testing is and why it matters; compare HASTA and Informed Sport programmes; explore the common causes of supplement contamination; break down how Informed Sport works; share practical tips for choosing safe products; and highlight ASN’s Athlete Approved range and commitment to your safety. By the end you’ll know exactly how to verify your supplement’s safety, protect your performance and fuel without fear.

Informed Sport is a global batch-testing and certification programme established in 2008 and run by LGC’s accredited anti-doping laboratory in the UK, designed for elite sport with protocols aligned to competition standards; it screens every production batch of sports and nutritional supplements for more than 285 WADA-prohibited substances, protects athletes from inadvertent doping through both initial and ongoing blind-market testing, and is recognised by global sporting federations, anti-doping agencies, nutrition organisations and special forces. Approved batches carry the Informed Sport quality mark, and their unique batch numbers can be verified online or via the mobile app to give athletes total confidence in their supplements (Informed Sport, 2025c).

While Informed Sport sets the global benchmark for batch-testing, Australian athletes also rely on HASTA’s certification to fuel with confidence. Below, we compare the two programmes side by side so you can see which best fits your needs.

Supplements aren’t always made under the same strict conditions, so unwanted or banned substances can sneak in. The main risks are:

Cross-contamination
 

Shared equipment or production lines that aren’t fully cleaned between batches can transfer trace amounts of one product into the next.

Label discrepancies

An ingredient might be listed under a different name on the label than it appears on the official Prohibited List, making it easy to miss a banned substance.

Counterfeit products

Fake or unauthorised supplements can contain untested, harmful or banned ingredients and may carry none of the safety guarantees of legitimate brands.

These gaps leave athletes at risk of inadvertent doping and health issues, making independent batch-testing an essential safeguard

Informed Sport guides every supplement batch through a strict four-stage process to meet elite competition standards and stay free of banned substances. 

Stage One: Product & Manufacturing Review

Brands sign an agreement and submit labels for logo approval, then experienced assessors review ingredients, product variants, retail plans and batch-testing schedules. A paper-based audit of manufacturing sites checks quality systems, staff training, raw-material sourcing and traceability to reduce contamination risk (Informed Sport, 2025a).

Stage Two: Pre-Certification Sample Testing

A minimum of three retail-ready units from each batch are sent to the accredited labs. One unit is tested against the WADA Prohibited List, a second is stored securely, and none are pooled; every batch-tested and screened individually using the final consumer product (Informed Sport, 2025a).

Stage Three: Certification, Logo Use & Web Listing

Once labels, site reviews and initial sample tests pass, Informed Sport issues certification and logo-use rights. Certified products and all tested batch numbers appear on the Informed Sport website, with links for instant athlete verification (Informed Sport, 2025a).

Stage Four: Post-Certification Surveillance

Every new batch, including flavour variants, follows the same testing protocol before market release, with an extra sample retained for shelf-life checks. Informed Sport also conducts up to four unannounced blind-market tests per product each year and re-audits manufacturing systems to ensure ongoing compliance (Informed Sport, 2025a). 

1. Look for the batch-tested logo on every label, whether it’s the HASTA seal or the Informed Sport mark.

2. Verify your batch number online at the Informed Choice site or via the HASTA directory before you buy.

3. Use the Informed Sport App and scan the product's barcode to check if it has been batch-tested.

4. Purchase only from reputable retailers

Check the test date for your specific batch to ensure the screening was performed recently, not just when the programme first certified the product.

At Australian Sports Nutrition we curate a wide selection of batch tested supplements from leading brands. Everything in our Athlete Approved range has undergone either HASTA or Informed Sport screening. You’ll recognise these products by their certification logos on-pack, and each listing clearly notes which testing programme it passed. Whether you’re after whey protein, electrolytes or recovery formulas, our range brings together only those supplements you can verify by batch number online for absolute peace of mind. Explore our Athlete Approved collection to see the full line-up of rigorously tested products and shop with confidence.

We’re especially proud to spotlight Pillar Performance, an Australian sports micronutrition brand founded by former rugby player Damien Fitzpatrick that focuses on evidence-based vitamins and minerals to optimise athletic performance, recovery and overall health.

Every Pillar Performance product is batch-tested and is Informed Sport certified, providing athletes confidence that it’s free from banned substances. Their Triple Magnesium Professional Recovery blend (citrate, chelate and glycinate dihydrate) supports muscle function, promotes calm and aids post-workout repair and carries the Informed Sport seal so you can check your exact batch number online.

With global ambassador Jan Frodeno endorsing the brand, Pillar Performance bridges pharmaceutical precision and sports supplementation, giving you targeted, research-backed micronutrition to enhance performance and wellbeing.

For some, batch-testing isn’t an extra; it’s essential. By choosing supplements that carry the HASTA seal or Informed Sport mark, you protect your career from inadvertent doping, support your peak performance and uphold the integrity of your sport. At ASN we make it simple to showcase our athlete approved range, so you can train with confidence and compete with certainty.

Ready to fuel without fear?

Discover and verify your next batch-tested supplement on our Athlete Approved page . Train confident, compete confident.

HASTA. (2017). Who is HASTA? https://hasta.org.au/who-is-hasta/

Informed Sport . (2025a). Informed Sport Supplement Certification Process. https://sport.wetestyoutrust.com/about/certification-process

Informed Sport . (2025b). Supplement Certification. https://sport.wetestyoutrust.com/about

Informed Sport . (2025c). The Benefits. https://sport.wetestyoutrust.com/about/the-benefits