Nutricost
Comprehensive Brand Analysis
Fast Facts
Company History & Milestones
• 2011: Founders launch an affiliate marketing business in Utah, laying groundwork for Nutricost
• 2013: Nutricost brand officially founded by Min Kim and partner, starting with a few single-ingredient supplements. Initial success comes from a "hangover supplement" and basic nutraceuticals
• 2015–2018: Rapid expansion online – Nutricost grows its catalog to ~1,000 SKUs and becomes a top-selling supplement brand on Amazon (ranked among top 3 by 2018). Focus on Amazon and direct-to-consumer channels fuels exponential growth
• 2020: Surpasses 650 employees with multiple fulfillment centers (Utah, North Carolina, California) to meet nationwide demand. Benefited from the pandemic-era supplement boom without post-COVID sales drop-off
• 2021: Nutricost's parent company receives private investment to support scaling (majority stake acquired by Boyne Capital in Jan 2021). Professional management team expanded, though founders remain involved as executives
• 2024: Recognized locally – CEO Min Kim named "Executive of the Year" for Nutricost's growth and innovation in the supplement industry
Product & Manufacturing Profile
Core Products
Broad line of ~1000 supplements spanning vitamins, sports nutrition (e.g. creatine – Nutricost is Amazon's #1 seller in creatine), amino acids, nootropics, herbal extracts, and specialty nutraceuticals. Emphasis on single-ingredient, high-dosage formulas (e.g. bulk powders, capsules).
Manufacturing Model
Vertically integrated. Nutricost operates its own NSF-certified, FDA-registered manufacturing facility in Utah (Nutricost Manufacturing, Vineyard, UT). By controlling production in-house, they keep costs low and quality high. Facilities adhere to cGMP standards; large-scale blending, encapsulation, and bottling are done on-site.
Quality Certifications
Follows 21 CFR Part 111 (cGMP) for supplements. Facility is NSF GMP certified (independent audit) and routinely FDA-inspected. Products are tested for contaminants (heavy metals, microbes) and meet label potency. While not USP-verified, Nutricost highlights third-party lab testing of raw materials and finished batches.
Third-Party Testing
Utilizes accredited labs such as Analytical Resource Labs, Advanced Laboratories Inc, and Dyad Labs for independent testing of products. All products undergo identity/purity testing; certificates of analysis are available to consumers upon request.
Trust Score
Nutricost demonstrates solid quality control fundamentals (it runs its own FDA-registered, GMP-compliant facility and uses independent labs for testing). The brand has built trust by offering pure, single-ingredient products at affordable prices, and recent steps toward transparency – such as furnishing COAs on request – are positive. However, the company's past lack of proactive disclosure and a 2022 lawsuit over labeling accuracy temper its score. Ensuring all marketing claims are fully substantiated and making test results readily accessible would further bolster confidence in Nutricost's otherwise reputable line.
Sources
- BusinessQ Magazine. (2024, Mar. 18). Executive of the Year: Min Kim, Nutricost
- Nutricost (Nutricost Manufacturing LLC). (2023). BBB Business Profile
- Kim, M. – Interview in UV Business (2021). How Nutricost became an Amazon top-seller
- Mehorter, K. (2022, Nov. 11). Class Action Claims Nutricost Powders Contain More Calories... ClassAction.org
- Reddit user Ill_Tap3415. (2022, Dec. 23). Comment on "is Horbaach a legit company?" – Confirms Nutricost's GMP facility and lab testing (Nutricost email excerpt)
- ConsumerLab.com. (2021). Discussion: Nutricost Quality – notes creatine/quercetin test results and user COA feedback
- U.S. FDA. (2020, July 23). Warning Letter to Double Wood LLC (Nutricost's affiliate) – Hangover product claims (context for industry compliance)
Featured Ingredients
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